International Regional Hindi Conference 2014

New York

Presenter: Sushma Malhotra

Assistant PrincipalNew York City Department of Education

Hindi as a Heritage LanguageChallenges:• Lack of information to the community• Desire to learn English faster to merge into the

main stream • Lack of knowledge about the language programs

(ESL, BL, FL, NL, HL, DL)• Lack of Parental support to students &

participation in the New York City DOE activities• Knowledge of getting credits of studying a

language in the native country (After the age of 11years

More Challenges

• Lack of certified Hindi language /bilingual teachers/ Hindi as a FL teachers

• Lack of Instructional material• Lack of planned and organized meetings with the

School District authorities • Lack of planned and organized meetings with the

NYCDOE Authorities• Participation in the New York State Bilingual

Organizations, Foreign language Organizations, and Native Language organization Conferences

• Community based language programs not united or aligned to the National Foreign Language Standards

Common Practices• Some heritage speakers may be highly

proficient in the language, while other heritage speakers may be able to understand the language but not produce it.

• Some individuals simply have a cultural connection with a minority language but do not speak it.

Common Practices

People may use the heritage language consistently at home and with family, but receive minimal to no formal training in the heritage language and thus may struggle with literacy skills or using it in broader settings outside of the home.

Heritage language schools are often created out of a community’s desire to pass on their language and culture from one generation to the next in order to maintain connections within families and communities.

FYI

In 1977, the National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Languages (NCSSFL),in a position paper issued on Bilingual Education, stated that: if the United States is to remain a world leader, it must develop for its citizens the opportunities to learn to communicate adequately in many tongues and in the context of many cultures. It must provide for orderly development of native or ancestral languages as well as a choice of other languages for all its people. It is understood, however, that development of the official language of the nation English is important to all citizens (NCSSFL, 1977)

Working definition of heritage learner by Guadalupe Valdés,

• who is raised in a home where a non-English language is spoken,

• who speaks or merely understands the heritage language, and

• who is to some degree bilingual in English and the heritage language.

What Schools need to do

• One way to achieve this goal is to ensure that students acquire the dominant language, Standard English, while encouraging and helping them maintain the heritage language that is their special badge of identity (Bucholtz, 1995, pp. 355-357).

• On the other hand, schools and educators need to broaden their views on literacy and acknowledge the community funds of knowledge (Moll, 1992, p.20) that exists in heritage language students homes and communities.

Researchers on Heritage Langugae

• Just as there are multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983; 1999), there are multiple dimensions and layers in literacy, identity, knowledge, and discourse in both the dominant and heritage languages and cultures (McKay, 1993; McKay & Wong, 1996; The New London Group, 1996).

• Heritage language students can benefit from foreign language course offerings as well. They need to be encouraged to enroll in foreign language classes in which their heritage language is taught when certain accommodations are provided.

Assessment Challenges

• What are evaluation and assessment criteria?

• What are instructional and program objectives?

• What are expected outcomes?

• What qualitative and quantitative measurement can be conducted and demonstrated?

Assessment Challenges

• What are criteria for student placement, exit, and promotion?

• What proficiency level is expected of students? • Are there other social and psychological gains to

be expected and obtained? • For heritage language speakers who are limited

English proficient, assessment in their subject matter achievements must be included as well.

( Shuhan C. Wang <swang@doe.k12.de.us> & Mara Ins Garc a <garines@sbcglobal.net)

Steps to be taken

All heritage and native language learners should be made aware of the New York State DOE Commissioners regulation regarding the LOTE regents like exam and certificate evaluation.

Standard placement exams like LOTE regents for heritage and foreign language students get them credits from the school toward their diploma.

Steps to be taken

Curriculum should be designed aligned to the National Foreign Language standards that cover 5Cs. When developing the curriculum, in addition to linguistic and cultural content it is necessary to take into account the role of language in HLs’ lives and in their daily contact with family and community.

Steps to be taken

• Identify teachers to get certification in any area and teach one class of the Foreign Language.

• Curriculum needs to be aligned to the LOTE and Check point A, B, and C. Recruit all students to take the LOTE regents exam for the NYS DEO.

• Contact the Chancellor, superintendents, school principals in the language predominant communities live.

• Start with one class as a dual language program.• Or.

Steps to be taken

• Teach Hindi as a native language to the native speakers as a bilingual program.

• Start Hindi as a foreign language in high school.

• Get recognition and credits for studying Hindi in the USA

Hindi in NYC Schools

• In 2006, Hindi and Punjabi Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Regents examination for the New York State Department of Education was initiated.

• Successfully started the teaching of Hindi as a native and foreign language at John Adam High school, Queens, NY. S

• Received the National Foreign Language Federal grant to teach Hindi as a critical language since 2009.

• STARTALK Summer Hindi language program for middle and high school students.

• Every summer 50 to 60 students study Hindi language and receive high school credit for Hindi as a FL.

Dream Picture