Toward Useful Assessment and Evaluation of Heritage Language Learning

Abstract

AbstractWith a growing population of heritage language speakers in the United States and an increasing enrollment of heritage language learners (HLLs) in language classrooms (Beaudrie & Ducar, 2012; Carreira & Kagan, 2011), heritage language (HL) education has become a special concern within the language acquisition research community. Although there has been a proliferation of studies in this field, research oriented toward assessment and evaluation in HL education has been limited. This article addresses three major areas of research on the design and implementation of assessment for adult HLLs and the evaluation of the programs that serve them. First, the article examines the considerable ongoing discussion of appropriate HL assessments, in particular the applicability of the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines (ACTFL, 2012). Next, it examines investigations of different sociocultural factors that may predict HL proficiency. Finally, the article considers the small but growing line of research on the evaluation of HL programs, often conducted through national‐level surveys or through the systematic evaluation of HL programs. Developing from these existing lines of inquiry, the review offers a number of recommendations to improve future research in this area.