ERIC Number: EJ894718
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0026-7902
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Cultural Fantasy Narratives and Heritage Language Learning: A Case Study of Adult Heritage Learners of Spanish
Coryell, Joellen E.; Clark, M. Carolyn; Pomerantz, Anne
Modern Language Journal, v94 n3 p453-469 Fall 2010
This study investigates the case of 7 female heritage learners of Spanish who have chosen, as adults, to enroll in online Spanish language instruction at the postsecondary level. Drawing on symbolic convergence theory, it identifies a cultural fantasy metanarrative that participants collectively constructed as they made sense of their language learning histories and desires. Analysis of this metanarrative revealed several subthemes on which participants drew to understand their multilingual identities, their borderland communities, and their language learning perceptions, actions, and responses. It is argued that the heritage learners in this study appropriated and reproduced a metanarrative in which the acquisition of "proper Spanish" (as opposed to a more local variety) was consonant with the attainment of an idealized identity for which they all strived. This metanarrative shaped both the way in which they approached and experienced the learning of Spanish in these online settings. As such, recommendations are provided for designing more responsive and responsible heritage language pedagogies, particularly in computer-mediated environments.
Descriptors: Fantasy, Multilingualism, Spanish, Heritage Education, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Case Studies, Females, Online Courses, College Students, Self Concept, Standard Spoken Usage, Language Variation, Teaching Methods, Computer Assisted Instruction, Personal Narratives
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
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Language: English
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