Abstract
Heritage language (HL) teaching is inherently tied to questions of identity (Leeman et al. 2011). Discussions have predominantly centered on learner identities, while less attention has been paid to those of HL teachers (Becker 2024). Understanding the identities of HL teachers is, however, crucial for framing the interplay between language, education and social cohesion in post-migrant societies. Shaped by experiences of mobility and marginalization, HL teachers frequently embody identities that serve as models for their students (Hild/Scherrer 2020). They also act as mediators for transnational families, assisting them in navigating the expectations and norms of the dominant society while fostering cultural and emotional ties to the communities of origin.
This talk advances critical discussions on social cohesion and language education policy by examining the experiences of HL teachers in South Tyrol (Italy), a historically multilingual region where hereditary educational institutions are still often marginalized in institutionalized educational and political discourse. Drawing on the thematic analysis of qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, the talk explores how teachers position themselves as mediators across cultures, languages and societal structures. It also investigates how their identity negotiations are influenced by, and in turn influence, social, political, and historical constraints (Block 2015), an area insufficiently addressed in HL research. By centering the emic experiences of HL teachers, the talk aims to amplify HL teachers’ voices as legitimate contributors to language education policy and social cohesion, and to contribute to a better understanding of the complexities of contemporary migrations, both in South Tyrol and beyond.
References:
Becker, A. (2024). Identity, Power, and Prestige in Switzerland's Multilingual Education. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag.
Block, D. (2015). Becoming a language teacher: Constraints and negotiation in the emergence of new identities, Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature 8(3), 9–26.
Hild, P. & Schrerrer, R. (2020). Marginalisierung engagierter und kompetenter Lehrer*innen, VPOD-Bildungspolitik 219, 25–28.
Leeman, J., Rabin, L. & Román-Mendoza, E. (2011). Identity and activism in heritage language education, The Modern Language Journal, 95: 481–495.