Heritage Languages: Alliance News Flash: December 2008

Volume 5, December 2008

www.cal.org/heritage

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				Heritage Language FAQs

				Heritage Language Programs

				New Publication

				Resources on Refugees

				New Digest




*Pathways to Multilingualism: Evolving Perspectives on Immersion* This publication features a series of articles grounded in research that demonstrate what can be done to make immersion education an effective pathway to multilingualism and academic success. Click here to learn more.

About the Alliance News Flash

The Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages is seeking to develop community among professionals working in heritage language education and research by providing information and resources of interest. Bookmark the Alliance Web site to stay up-to-date on the latest information.

The Alliance News Flash, a quarterly online newsletter, was created for professionals working in the area of heritage language education, to create connections and to give updates on new developments and recent resources in the field. If you have suggestions for articles for the Alliance News Flash, for Alliance activities and other ideas to create community, please email the Alliance team at heritage@cal.org.

It is easy to share the Alliance News Flash with friends and colleagues. Simply forward the News Flash email to them or send them the link to our Join Our List form.

To unsubscribe, send an email to heritage@cal.org.

Heritage Language FAQs

The Alliance is developing an expanding library of answers to frequently asked questions on heritage language issues and we will highlight a question periodically in the Alliance News Flash.

What is a Heritage Language? explains that any language (other than English spoken in the U.S) that speakers have a personal, community or professional connection to can be considered a heritage language for speakers of that language. Three types of heritage languages are identified in the FAQ: immigrant, indigenous, and colonial. Read the FAQ.

Browse our complete collection of FAQs and download a PDF of the first volume of Frequently Asked Questions developed by the Alliance.

Program Profiles

The Alliance collects profiles of heritage language programs. This month we feature two programs for students in PreK-12 and adults.

The International School of Tucson
The International School of Tucson (IST) is a full immersion program that prepares students to be orally proficient in French, German, Spanish, and English, with an emphasis on the spoken language. Students develop a global understanding, achieve confidence in all cultures, and learn the basic skills of reading and writing in the non-English Language, which transfers into their improving their English skills.
Language programs offered by the Bristol Warren Regional School District
These programs specialize in the development of Portuguese, Italian, Spanish, and French literacy in high school students in the Bristol School System. The curriculum covers an intensive university language track and offers the possibility of college credit.

Learn more about the online collection. Submit a heritage language program profile.

Resources on Refugees

Refugee Families & Refugee Youth Videos

Refugees contribute to the linguistic and cultural diversity in the United States. Two videos about refugee families and youth -- A New Day, and Be Who You Are – are developed by the Cultural Orientation Resource Center to help refugee service providers learn about issues that refugees in the United States face. This includes helping families with adjustment, discipline, school life, home life, and learning English while keeping the heritage language and culture alive. Learn more.

Publications on Refugee Populations

Refugees from Burma: Their Backgrounds and Refugee Experiences
This Refugee Backgrounder provides information about the diverse histories, cultures, and refugee experiences of the Burmans, the Karen and their various subgroups, and the Chin. Designed as a resource for refugee service providers but likely to be of use to teachers, local government agency staff, and others who interact with refugees from Burma, this profile also addresses the early experiences of Burmese refugees already resettled in the United States. Learn more.
Refugees From Iraq
This Enhanced Refugee Backgrounder provides in-depth information about refugee groups from Iraq, describing the various ethnic and religious communities of Iraqi Arabs (both Sunni and Shi’a), Iraqi Christians, and others. Topics include history, conditions in countries of asylum, characteristics of the refugee population, cultural features of each of the different communities, religion, language, education, and resettlement considerations. Learn more.

New digest

Raising Bilingual Children: Common Parental Concerns and Current Research
La crianza de niños bilingües: preocupaciones communes de los padres de cara a las investigaciones actuales Available in English. Coming Soon in Spanish.

This digest helps heritage language classroom teachers, and other professionals who work with bilingual children and their parents, address common parental concerns about their children’s language development and become familiar with the research on this topic. Read this digest in English.

Este informe ayuda a maestros de lenguajes patrimoniales y a otros professionals que trabajan con niños bilingues y con sus padres para enfrentar preucupaciones communes sobre el desarrollo de los lenguajes de sus hijos y para que se familiarizen con las investigaciones en este tema.

Watch our Web site for more details on the Spanish translation of this digest.