INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE OF HERITAGE LANGUAGE LEARNERS: MOTIVATION, IDENTITY, LANGUAGE ATTITUDES, AND THE CURRICULUM1

Heritage language learners (HLLs) differ from typical language students (L2s) in a variety of ways, including: 1) their language proficiencies; 2) their reasons for studying their home language in the formal setting of a foreign language classroom; 3) their perception of themselves as hyphenated Americans, or, if we use Kipling’s wording, as “we ” and “they ” at the same time. I will discuss the results of a national survey that demonstrate heritage language learners ’ intrinsically intercultural attitude toward their heritage language. I will also focus on the specific pedagogical implications that the learners ’ identities, motivations, and language perceptions can have for heritage language curriculum. All the people like us are We, And everyone else is They