Heritage-Meets- Heritage (HMH)

Alexandrov, Sybil (Spanish); Kaliambou, Maria (Modern Greek); Lee-Smith, Angela (Korean); Titus, Julia (Russian) (Yale University) (names in alphabetical order.)

 

• Educational Setting:
  • Grades 7–12 and post-secondary levels in school-based or community-based educational settings.
  • Primarily designed for heritage language (HL) learners, but adaptable for foreign language learners across languages.
• Genres:
  • Descriptive, explanatory, reflective, inquiry-based, and narrative.
• Thematic Keywords:
  • Heritage, identity, motivation, cultural connection, reflection, empathy, diversity, language, community, and belonging.
• Pedagogical Approaches:
  • Project-based learning, community-based reflection, multiliteracies approach, collaborative learning, and 21st-century skills—critical thinking, communication, collaboration.
• Language Levels:
  • Intermediate-Mid to Advanced.
• General Description:
  • This module is designed for heritage language learners to explore identity and shared experiences through cross-cultural communication. Students engage with their heritage and other learners’ heritage languages. The project begins with students reflecting on their own identity and heritage language through a survey, followed by reflective writing and guided conversations with peers from different heritage backgrounds. These activities culminate in a written reflection or group discussion on commonalities and differences they discovered. Through this process, learners deepen their awareness of heritage, language, and culture while fostering empathy and communication skills across linguistic and cultural lines.
• Rationale:
  • This project supports heritage language learners by giving them the space to reflect on their unique experiences while also connecting with others who share similar yet distinct challenges. Heritage language learners often face identity complexities, balancing their home language with societal expectations. By exploring both their own and others’ experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of the universal themes of heritage and belonging, contributing to a sense of empathy and community. Additionally, educators gain insight into how to create supportive learning environments that address both the cognitive and emotional needs of heritage language learners.

8. Objectives:

• Reflect on personal identity and heritage through surveys, discussions, and interactions.
• Engage in meaningful cross-cultural conversations about heritage and culture with peers, fostering empathy, understanding, and a sense of shared identity and belonging.
• Demonstrate an understanding of common themes in heritage language experiences by applying insights to discussions, reflective writings, and presentations.
• Gain language proficiency in the target language through active participation in discussions, presentations, and written reflections.

9. Outcomes/Deliverables:

• Survey Reflection: Students write a reflective text based on anonymous survey results that explore identity and heritage-related experiences.
• Guided Conversation Reflection: After participating in a guided conversation with a peer from a different heritage language, students write or discuss their experience, focusing on shared or differing themes.
• Final Reflection or Presentation: Students present their insights in a reflective presentation, narrative, or written post that highlights commonalities across heritage language learners.

10. Tasks and Activities:

• Task 1: Anonymous Survey Completion (Individual): Students complete a survey on their experiences as a heritage language learner (in English).
• Task 2: Reflective Writing (Individual/Class): After reviewing survey results, students write a reflective post in their heritage language, analyzing common themes and personal experiences. Commenting on others’ posts is encouraged for deeper engagement.
• Task 3: Guided Cross-Heritage Conversation (Pair): Students are paired with another heritage language learner of a different language. They engage in a guided conversation using prepared questions (in English).
• Task 4: Reflective Writing on Conversation (Individual/Class): Following the conversation, students write a reflective post in their heritage language, analyzing insights and lessons learned from the discussion.
• Task 5: Final Presentation or Group Reflection (Individual/Class): Students either write a final reflection or participate in a group discussion, summarizing their findings on shared experiences across heritage language learners.

11. Suggested Materials:

• Consent forms for participation.
• Online survey platform (e.g., Qualtrics) to collect and analyze student responses.
• Guided discussion documents with sample questions for cross-heritage conversations. Guided HMH Conversation Questions
• Online discussion board or reflection platform (e.g., Canvas, Google Classroom).

12. Technology/AI Tools:

• Online survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics, Google Forms).
• Virtual meeting tools for cross-heritage conversations (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet).
• Discussion platforms (e.g., Canvas, Moodle).
• AI tools for reflection prompts and personalized feedback.

13. Assessment:

• Participation in the survey, reflective writing, and guided conversation will count toward 3% of the course grade.
• Assessment criteria include depth of reflection, engagement with peers, and the ability to articulate insights on heritage language experiences.

14. Differentiated Instruction:

• Offer scaffolding for students at different proficiency levels, such as sentence starters for reflective writing or simplified discussion prompts.
• Provide alternative options for final presentations (e.g., oral, written, or multimedia) based on student comfort and proficiency.

15. Teaching Reflection:

• Reflect on how well students connected with the material and how effective the cross-heritage conversations were in fostering empathy and shared understanding.
• Evaluate whether the module met its goals of promoting reflection on identity and cross-cultural learning, and adjust future implementations to enhance outcomes.

15. Learning Reflection:

• Students reflect on their learning process, focusing on how their understanding of heritage and identity has deepened.
• They also evaluate how cross-cultural conversations contributed to their empathy and understanding of other heritage learners’ experiences.

• Heritage-Meets-Heritage (HMH) © 2016 by Sybil Alexandrov, Angela Lee-Smith, Julia Titus and Maria Kaliambou is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0