What are the similarities and differences among English language, foreign language, and heritage language education in the United States?
English language and literacy development is one of the fundamental goals of public education in the United States. Development of English language and literacy takes place in language arts and content area classes. Foreign language instruction has been the most common way for students to learn languages other than English, primarily in language-focused classes often designed for students who do not have prior exposure to the language. Heritage language education is a newer form of language instruction, taking shape in the 1980s and designed for students who have had previous exposure to the language, cultural connections to it, and some proficiency in it. While all of these programs have development of language proficiency as their goal, student populations and instructional approaches can vary a great deal. Read the Heritage Brief.
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