Hindi Heritage Language Learners’ Performance during OPIs: Characteristics and Pedagogical Implications

Abstract

The present paper examines the oral performance of Hindi language learners during practice Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) conducted during workshops hosted by New York University and sponsored by STARTALK. The most salient characteristics of the heritage language learners’ output are compared with the output of foreign language learners who are rated similarly at the Intermediate Mid or Intermediate High level on the ACTFL scale. The paper’s focus is on patterns of grammar and discourse strengths and deficiencies, as well as elaboration of topics and code-mixing in relation to students’ background. Pedagogical implications are discussed with reference to teaching strategies that address the differences in the language abilities of the heritage versus foreign language learners of Hindi.