‘It's very complicated’ exploring heritage language identity with heritage language teachers in a teacher preparation program

Abstract

Despite the proliferation of research in heritage language (HL) education, pedagogically based research that examines teacher education practice for promoting critical reflection of HL teachers is sparse. This article describes how preservice teachers working in community-based HL schools changed their views of HL identity during their participation in a teacher preparation program in Hawaii. The researcher as a teacher educator collected data over the course of three semesters while closely working with a cohort of five HL-speaking undergraduate students. The data included class transcripts, interviews and online reflection journals. This article delineates the ways in which the teacher educator and her students co-constructed the meaning of HL identity by (1) problematizing academic constructs of HL; (2) sharing personal and professional narratives and (3) capitalizing on linguistic and cultural funds of knowledge of HL teachers. Data analysis shows that HL teachers exhibited transformed views of HL identity while becoming aware of the dynamic, shifting and conflicting nature of teacher identity. Based on the findings, this article calls for the reconceptualization of HL identity and offers suggestions for teacher education.