2nd year Vietnamese heritage language learners in higher education: a case study

Abstract

Vietnamese heritage language learners (VHLLs) have rarely been researched even though they represent a growing percentage of language students in higher education in the United States. This research investigates some basic aspects of the VHLLs including their needs, wants, issues, and challenges. In addition, for the Vietnamese language in the U.S. there are pressures and preferences about dialect, which are also examined. To do so, a qualitative, 5 year crosssectional, case study approach was used to learn about the VHLLs in higher education, specifically the 2nd-year VHLLs in Hawaii. The qualitative methods include: surveys (n = 59), student interviews (n = 13), 2 interviews with the language teacher, and classroom observations while utilizing language socialization and language ideology theoretical frameworks to view the data. This information allows other researchers to expand on these foundational aspects and creates the opportunity for a cross comparison with other heritage language learners. Finally, language instructors can use this information to better tailor their curriculum to the needs and wants for their VHLLs. Some results for the Vietnamese language classes include: the language instructor was the most liked aspect; classes early in the morning were the least liked aspect; speaking skills was the issue of importance; and grammar was the most challenging aspect. The VHLLs dialect change had a range of consequences with their communities from unproblematic to highly problematic. Additional research on the VHLLs is needed, but this research provides foundational elements to understanding a growing group of language learners.