Understanding Heritage and Domestic Language Learners

Karen E. Johnson & Joan Kelly Hall

The Pennsylvania State University

This resource addresses two significant professional development needs unique to teachers who teach both heritage and domestic language learners in post-secondary LCTL classrooms. These needs are:

• to understand the pedagogical challenges created by the presence of both domestic and heritage language students in their classrooms;
• to create effectual language learning communities in their

The resource highlights both the complexities and dynamics of working with university-level domestic and heritage language students in LCTL classrooms through cases.

Case-based learning is an instructional design that uses real-world problems or cases to stimulate reflection, discussion and analysis and ultimately to enhance the teachers’ professional knowledge and problem-solving skills.