Heritage Language Research Articles

Phrasebook in Text Typology: a Type of Textbook or an Independent Type of Text?

Introduction. A phrasebook as a type of text is aimed at providing the basics of communication in situations when the knowledge of a foreign language is absent. It can not be classified as a type of a dictionary, textbook or manual for the development of speaking skills. The article examines the problem of determining the status of a phrasebook in the typology of text types. The study is aimed at a diachronic analysis of the texts and structure of phrasebooks to identify features that unite a phrasebook with a textbook, as well as to determine the properties inherent only to a phrasebook, allowing it to be distinguished as an independent type of text. The lack of works that consider the problem of determining the status of a phrasebook determines the relevance of the study.Methodology and sources. The research material – the texts of German-Russian and Russian-German phrasebooks of the XVIII–XXI centuries, covering the time period from 1795 to 2011, which were created both for teaching the German or Russian language, and for practical use during travel. The general (educational and tourist) phrasebooks were chosen because of the fact that they reflect different aspects of interaction between representatives of language communities in predetermined situations.Results and discussion. The comparison has shown that a phrasebook is an independent type of text, at different stages of its historical development having more or less similar features with a textbook, dictionary and a manual for the development of oral speech skills, but differing significantly from them. In the course of its historical development, the cohesive connections between the linguistic units of the phrasebook weaken: from a book containing coherent and logical dialogues on various topics (XVIII–XIX centuries), the phrasebook turns into a manual with a set of thematically organized template phrases and lists of words (late XX–XXI centuries).Conclusion. The phrasebook, thus, is a type of text that is closely related to the era of creation, which is reflected not only in the theme and structure, but also in the strength of the cohesive connections of the linguistic units that make up the phrasebook.

Intercept evidence from foreign language communications: Reliability and minimum standards in the interests of justice.

This paper explores the role of Intercept Interpreters/Translators (IITs) in law enforcement communication surveillance efforts. It focuses on the production and reliability of Translated Intercept Records (TIR), which are comprehensive written records in the target language that may be produced for intelligence purposes or for use in court as Translated Intercept Evidence (TIE). The paper underscores the critical importance of reliable TIR for both evidentiary use and operational decision-making. The authors emphasise the need to establish minimal standards in the quest for reliability and dispel the misconception that literal translations fulfil evidentiary requirements. The standards proposed in this paper aim to minimise interpretation errors to enhance the overall effectiveness of investigations and safeguard the interests of justice. The paper concludes by highlighting the need to align judicial expectations with sound translation practices.

Digital Communication Crisis: The Case of Patiswiss Brand

Developments in information and communication technologies have intensely changed the way individuals communicate. The increase in technological innovations has led to the emergence of some risks for businesses, as well as the advantages it offers. Chief among these risks is that individuals have begun to easily express their expectations and complaints -especially in the context of the products they buy and use- through social media platforms where interaction and content sharing are possible. An individual who spends a significant amount of his time in the digital environment is both exposed to the content created by other users and can have an impact on many people by producing content. Under these conditions, social media environments and consumers/customers who use these environments intensively have positive effects on companies and brands at a level that will increase sales, and negative effects at a level that may cause a crisis. Managing technology-mediated communication environments is important in terms of managing such effects. The aim of this study is to reveal how the crisis is managed and/or attempted to be managed through digital media, within the framework of the need to manage the crisis that emerges through a content, issue, event that comes to the fore regarding the company(ies) in the digital media and spreads rapidly among the masses. In the study, which focused on digital communication, crisis management was discussed through a case study of the Patiswiss brand over the series of events that broke out in April 2024. The headlines and spots of the news published in the digital environment regarding the crisis process, developments and resolution of the crisis were analyzed through 5W1H. As a result, it has been observed that the communication language was transformed by developing a successful strategy after the attack and threat based communication method used in the beginning.

Pedagogical translation for reading comprehension in mixed HL‐L2 secondary classrooms

AbstractThis exploratory, mixed methods study proposes that pedagogical translation be implemented for biliteracy acquisition in mixed heritage language (HL)‐second language (L2) secondary Spanish classrooms. It investigates the mediation of pedagogical translation for reading comprehension in two mixed HL‐L2 secondary Spanish classrooms at a suburban high school in the southwestern United States. The research question, How does pedagogical translation influence reading comprehension in a mixed HL‐L2 secondary Spanish classroom is addressed in this work. Findings indicated that through a pedagogical translation activity, heritage language learners (HLLs) and second language learners (L2Ls) demonstrated metalinguistic awareness and vocabulary learning, which are indicators of reading comprehension. Differing HLL and L2L learning approaches during the activities are discussed, followed by pedagogical and research implications.

From ‘Born’ Bilinguals to Monolinguals: Understanding Korean‐Chinese Bilingual Family Language Policy in China

ABSTRACTIn recent years, China has implemented a national language policy promoting the use of Putonghua (Standard Chinese) in ethnic minority schools. This study investigates how mesolevel institutions (i.e., schools) have responded to this macro‐level national language policy change, and how the institutional policy changes have affected Korean‐Chinese bilingual family language policies in Yanbian, China. Based on an analysis of the teaching and learning materials used in schools and data gathered through interviews with and observations of 16 Korean‐Chinese bilingual families, this study finds that schools have actively responded to macro‐level policy changes with organised, large‐scale language practice activities. As a result of factors such as educational pressure and broader societal ideologies, families have been pressured to align with the meso‐level language policy despite their desire to maintain their heritage language and culture. Consequently, it is likely that future generations of Korean‐Chinese individuals, who would previously have been ‘born’ bilinguals, may become monolinguals. This study contends that in countries with a unified language ideology and a dominant language, the impact of macro‐level policy reforms can restrict or promote micro‐level family language policies through the mediating influence of meso‐level institutions. Family language policy researchers may need to recognise that there is a one‐way, rather than two‐way, relationship between the aims of the state and the desires of families in such contexts.

The Effect of Task-Based Language Teaching On Speaking Abilities of Iraqi Intermediate EFL Learners and Their Attitudes Towards English

In the last couple of decades, language educators have focused on the development of communicative language teaching approaches, which emphasize teaching language through communication. Among these approaches, Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) has gained popularity, and it is believed that TBLT can contribute to the development of speaking ability among learners. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of TBLT in developing speaking ability among intermediate level Iraqi students. This quasi-experimental study included 50 individuals from a public school in Iraq. Students in the experimental group were taught using TBLT, whereas those in the control group were taught conventionally. The research data were acquired using two instruments of tests (pre- and post-test) to assess the students' speaking performance before and after treatment, as well as a questionnaire to determine their attitudes toward English. The validity and reliability of the study instruments were confirmed. The results of the research were analyzed using ANCOVA and MANCOVA. The data revealed that TBLT greatly enhances students' speaking abilities, and they have positive sentiments concerning its use in their speaking classes.

The Expression of Gratitude in English and Arabic Doctoral Dissertation Acknowledgements

Abstract This corpus-based study explores the expression of gratitude in the acknowledgement section of doctoral dissertations in both English and Arabic. The objective is to analyse how gratitude in academic discourse is structured in these languages and to explore any differences related to gender. The study examines 80 dissertations (40 in English and 40 in Arabic), further divided by the authors’ gender (20 male and 20 female for each language). Data collection involved searching for doctoral dissertations from various sources, verifying the authenticity of the native language through biographical checks, and categorising the acknowledgements based on the year and field of study. The analysis utilised a mixed-methods approach based on Hyland and Tse’s (2004) framework, enabling quantitative and qualitative text analysis. The study revealed distinct differences in gratitude expression patterns between English and Arabic dissertations: English acknowledgements often used performative verbs and adjectives, while Arabic acknowledgements primarily employed nominalisation. Notably, Arabic texts showed no use of passive constructions or adjectives. Gender-related differences were also observed, such as the preference for nominalisation among male Arabic authors and the preference for bare mention among female English authors. These findings underscore the significant cultural and linguistic influences on the construction of gratitude in academic acknowledgements. The research contributes valuable insights into pedagogical approaches to teaching academic writing and highlights the interplay between language, culture, and gender in scholarly communications.

Elizabeth Acevedo, Laura Esquivel, and the Politics of Multilingualism

AbstractA number of bloggers, journalists, teachers, and librarians have compared Elizabeth Acevedo’s 2019 young adult novel With the Fire on High with Laura Esquivel’s Como agua para chocolate (1989), recommending that fans of Esquivel’s work pick up Acevedo’s—and vice versa. These suggestions echo Acevedo’s own comments about the narrative, which she has characterized as “parecido a ‘Como agua para chocolate,’ pero en el barrio” (Acevedo & Pichardo, 2019). This article takes this recent reception history as an invitation to think through how With the Fire on High deepens and course-corrects the revolutionary path of Esquivel’s earlier text. More specifically, I interrogate how Acevedo and Esquivel engage with linguistic identities and with multilingualism in particular as source material for political resistance and healing. Acevedo, like Esquivel before her, represents multilingual identities in ways that disrupt and resist the neocolonial violence of the United States. However, whereas Como agua para chocolate’s references to minoritized languages are executed in a manner that threatens to reinscribe traumatizing ethnoracial and class hierarchies passed down via colonial history, multilingualism in Acevedo’s novel works more systemically to intervene in and undermine such established matrices of power. Acevedo participates in a project of linguistic resistance and healing that involves reclaiming a heritage language for a multiply marginalized protagonist and, through that act of reclamation, rejecting the received cultural wisdom propagated by both colonial and neocolonial systems.

Parental self-efficacy and early language development in deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

This study examined the relationship between parental self-efficacy in parents of young deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children and children's spoken language skills. A retrospective within-subjects study design was used that included 24 mother-child dyads with DHH children. Parental self-efficacy was assessed using the Scale of Parental Involvement and Self-Efficacy-Revised. Children's language abilities were assessed using the Preschool Language Scale-5th edition. Our data revealed no significant associations between global measures of parental self-efficacy and children's auditory comprehension, expressive communication, and total language scores. However, positive correlations were found between child language skills and specific parents' beliefs about their ability to support their child's spoken language development, their ability to use strategies to help their child communicate, and their active involvement in intervention. Findings highlight the importance of examining discrete aspects of parental self-efficacy as it specifically relates to parents supporting their DHH child's spoken language development. Future directions and implications are provided.

The Impact of Ethnic Identity on Language Attitudes

ABSTRACT Few studies have explored the relationship between ethnic identity and language attitudes in heritage language speakers. Via self-reported questionnaire data, the present study examined correlational and causal connections between ethnic identity and language attitudes in three generations of Israeli and American Mountain Jews. Native to the eastern Caucasus, Mountain Jews immigrated in the 1990s to Israel and the United States, bringing with them two heritage languages, Juhuri and Russian. The effect of ethnic identity on language attitudes emerged as strong for both Juhuri and Russian, but varied across countries, generations, languages, and types of attitudes. Strong correlations between ethnic identity and language attitudes were found for both heritage languages in Israel, but in the United States the connection between Russian and Mountain Jewish identity was lost across generations. Results are discussed in terms of previous research on heritage languages, identity and attitudes, and highlight the revival of ethnic identity among second-generation immigrants.

Keeping it real: A signaling theory perspective on authentic claims of gang membership made on social media

The advent of social media has transformed the landscape of street gang dynamics. Although existing research has documented gang members’ use of social media—including identity performance, rival taunting, promoting gang culture, and conflict de-escalation—it often lacks a theoretical foundation and process-oriented view of these digital interactions. This study advances a signaling timeline approach to fill this gap. We apply it to a case study of Chicago Latino gangs and qualitative content analysis performed on 2849 posts and thousands more replies and comments web-scraped from a public Facebook page. Our theoretical framework decodes the intricate language of gang communications on social media to uncover the mechanisms behind interpretations and perceptions of gang members’ authenticity and the reasons behind the public nature of what might otherwise be considered clandestine activities. Ultimately this research contributes to understanding the digital negotiation of gang dynamics, highlighting the strategic use of communication in cyberspace.

Developing films to support vaccine-hesitant, ethnically diverse parents’ decision-making about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: a codesign study

ObjectiveTo illustrate an evidence-, theory- and person-based approach to codesign the COMMUNICATE films that support parental decision-making about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for their teenagers.DesignCodesign study.SettingLocalities covered by two...

Bilingual/ESL preservice teachers’ heritage language and language identity: Evidence from multimodal literacy autobiographies

Analyzing bilingual/ESL preservice teachers' multimodal autobiographies allowed us to investigate the role of one's linguistic/ethnic identities in professional development. Participants were 30 preservice teachers, mostly first-generation college students, in a teacher preparation program. Findings highlighted participants' selection of particular modal resources as they recounted their lived language/literacy history, pointing to participants' response to the language demands of their schooling contexts. Some reported difficult transitions to English-only classrooms, others expressed struggles to maintain their heritage language, and many recounted challenges with language proficiency in either or both languages. These experiences became a lifelong catalyst for pursuing a teaching career.

Complementary schools as ‘breathing spaces’: identity, multilingualism and critical pedagogies in heritage language education

Whilst mainstream schools in England may encourage multilingualism by insisting on the study of foreign languages, multilingual children are not always provided with support for the maintenance of their heritage languages and cultures. In response to this shortcoming, communities organise themselves to support their young members by setting up extra-curricular education institutions or associations, also called complementary schools, which contribute to the cultural and linguistic maintenance of minority communities. Through emblematic extracts from a fourteen-month ethnographic research in an Italian complementary school in London, this article examines how HL learners engage in and reflect on their multilingual practices and how they develop agency in their learning environment. The findings illustrate how critical modes of teaching and learning that make space for multilingualism can provide children with unique opportunities to discover, explore and experiment with their multilingual and multicultural selves, which, in turn, permit them to access linguistic resources and legitimise multilingual learner identities. Expanding on Fishman’s notion of ‘breathing space’, the article suggests that complementary schools represent a space where minority languages but also pedagogical practices can breathe and develop.

“Not the Player nor the Coach”: Considerations for Peer-Tutor Education in Heritage Language Writing Centers

“Not the Player nor the Coach”: Considerations for Peer-Tutor Education in Heritage Language Writing Centers

Cognitive foundations of the formation of communicative competencies in the theory of dialogue

Abstract The study of cognitive mechanisms involved in the process of developing communicative competencies, particularly from the perspective of dialogue theory, is relevant and necessary to improve communicative activity and its effectiveness. The purpose of this research is to study the cognitive-communicative interaction in the process of dialogical communication and the cognitive conditionality of the development of communicative competencies. The methods of frame, cognitive and communicative analysis, and the analytical-synthetic method were used in the study. The main frame structures of dialogic speech were considered: using one frame and similar ways of verbalization, using one frame and different ways of verbal expression, and using two frames with different thematic or semantic content. The study examined cognitive-communicative interaction in dialogic communication and the cognitive basis for developing communicative competencies. Among the important conclusions is the discovery of three primary dialogical unity frame structures. It has been found that cognitive functions affect successful communication. The study demonstrated how cognitive-communicative interaction fosters the development of communicative competencies. It was also determined that dialogue structure relates to response shifts represented as interrelated frames. The study concludes that future research should focus on studying cognitions in communicative contexts and improving foreign language communication.

Methodological foundations for teaching students to use the WEATHER concept in the process of foreign language communication (by the example of a language university)

Methodological foundations for teaching students to use the WEATHER concept in the process of foreign language communication (by the example of a language university)

What Role Does the Heritage Language Play in Chinese Communities in UK?

This article examines the pivotal role of heritage language on Chinese diaspora communities in the UK, emphasizing its role in cultural transmission and identity formation. It emphasizes how community schools serve as essential platforms for heritage language education, enabling immigrant families to preserve their linguistic and cultural connections. The interplay between language learning and the socio-cultural environment is explored, revealing the challenges faced by learners and the significance of family education in this progress. Mastery of heritage language is shown to foster a sense of belonging and cultural pride, contributing to the construction of identities in a multicultural society. The article further discusses how heritage language education not only imparts linguistic skills but also installs cultural values and beliefs, reinforcing national identity among diaspora members. Ultimately, it underscores the transformative impact of heritage language on individual and collective identities, facilitating a deeper understanding of cultural nuances and promoting intercultural awareness within the diverse landscape of contemporary Britain.

Teachers’ Strategies for Improving ESL Learners’ Speaking Skills

The study examines the perception of Nepalese English teachers on the strategies employed to enhance ESL learners’ speaking skills. To gather insights and experiences, interviews were conducted with two secondary-level English teachers from schools in the Kathmandu valley. The findings reveals that creating a supporting learning environment and utilizing different teaching strategies, such as task-based learning and communicative language teaching are crucial for improving students’ speaking abilities. The study also highlights how socio-economic and cultural factors influence language learning, underscoring the need for the inclusive and equitable educational practices. Despite the study’s contributions to understanding effective ESL teaching practices and its practical implications for educators and policymaker, effective reading strategies are underestimated. The study emphasizes the importance of adopting effective teaching strategies and fostering supportive learning environments to enhance ESL learners’ speaking skills and confidence in using English.

ERG-AI: enhancing occupational ergonomics with uncertainty-aware ML and LLM feedback

Workers, especially those involved in jobs requiring extended standing or repetitive movements, often face significant health challenges due to Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs). To mitigate MSD risks, enhancing workplace ergonomics is vital, which includes forecasting long-term employee postures, educating workers about related occupational health risks, and offering relevant recommendations. However, research gaps remain, such as the lack of a sustainable AI/ML pipeline that combines sensor-based, uncertainty-aware posture prediction with large language models for natural language communication of occupational health risks and recommendations. We introduce ERG-AI, a machine learning pipeline designed to predict extended worker postures using data from multiple wearable sensors. Alongside providing posture prediction and uncertainty estimates, ERG-AI also provides personalized health risk assessments and recommendations by generating prompts based on its performance and prompting Large Language Model (LLM) APIs, like GPT-4, to obtain user-friendly output. We used the Digital Worker Goldicare dataset to assess ERG-AI, which includes data from 114 home care workers who wore five tri-axial accelerometers in various bodily positions for a cumulative 2913 hours. The evaluation focused on the quality of posture prediction under uncertainty, energy consumption and carbon footprint of ERG-AI and the effectiveness of personalized recommendations rendered in easy-to-understand language.