Understanding the Teaching Strategy of Korean Heritage Language Teachers in Community-Based Heritage Language Schools

Abstract

The goal in this qualitative study is to contribute to the growing understanding that heritage language (HL) teachers' literacy teaching beliefs and children's home linguistic environment mediate teachers' HL teaching strategies, including the micro-level language policy. Following the brief history of Korean HL schools in the USA, a case study conducted at two community-based Korean HL schools in California is presented. The primary data were collected through multiple teacher interviews and participant-observations in two Korean heritage language schools. The characteristics of two HL teachers' instruction capture their beliefs about literacy teaching and micro-level language policy in the classroom. The challenges of Korean-only instruction and HL education are discussed in relation to students' linguistic home environments and macro-level linguistic policy of the USA. The author concludes with the implications and recommendations for HL teachers, HL schools, and administrators regarding how to support bilingual competences and literacies of young children in minority communities.