Global perspectives on heritage language education and emotion: Introduction to the special issue

Abstract

Fear, anxiety, and uncertainty creep into the confidence the learner has previously placed in their knowing and is reflective of a very chaotic transitional period. Senses are overloaded with unfamiliar knowledges, thoughts, and reflections that disrupt a familiar and comfortable sense of being and knowing, but once in the middle we must press on through to the other side or be carried away by fear—the fear of myths and stereotypes that have, until now, informed how we have come to know (Styres, 2019, p. 29).

Recent decades have seen exponential growth in attention to two research areas in second language acquisition (SLA), which—until now—have continued along two relatively separate and independent paths. On the one hand, scholars have focused steadily increased interest in better understanding the relationships between language learning and emotions (e.g., Agudo, 2018; Dewaele & Li, 2020; Dörnyei et al., 2014; Simons & Smits, 2020), which has led to an exciting evolution of language classroom initiatives footed in affective dynamics and emotional well-being in SLA (e.g., Helgesen, n.d.). At the same time, the field of heritage language education (HLE) has also seen a tremendous boost, with dedicated scholars who continue to explore new theories and teaching practices in language learning geared toward fostering successful and healthy learning spaces for heritage language learners (HLLs). As these bodies of work continue to expand, and educators spearhead initiatives for pedagogies that serve heritage speakers, their families, and HLE stakeholders, the absence of research dedicated to exploring emotional variables among this population of learners becomes more apparent and, at times, problematic for the field as a whole.

The term heritage speaker (HS) is often used to refer to individuals who grew up exposed to a nonmajority language at home (i.e., the heritage language) and a socially dominant majority language. It includes community (Wiley, 2005) and Indigenous language learners (Fairclough & Beaudrie, 2016). The heritage language (HL) is typically acquired in the household through naturalistic interaction with relatives, caretakers, and the familial network (Pascual y Cabo & Rothman, 2012), leading HSs to develop varying degrees of bilingualism in the heritage and majority languages while maintaining a strong cultural connection to the HL (Valdés, 2001). At the heart of the concept lie asymmetric power differentials characterizing the relationships between the heritage and majority languages and their social, political, and educational ramifications, which, taken together, shape many of the experiences lived by HSs in different contexts. Due to this convergence of pressures, allusions to the emotional aspect of HLE and HS bilingualism have been present for a long time in the literature, but explicit efforts to understand them have remained minimal (e.g., Prada et al., 2020).

This special issue addresses apparent gaps and investigates the complex interplay between HLs and emotions by approaching it from a global perspective that goes beyond Western and/or Global North conceptualizations of the terms. In doing so, this collection of articles takes up a large degree of freedom in its conceptualization of who counts as an HS, what constitutes an HL, and which emotional aspects are brought into focus. Additionally, the articles employ a methodological diversity in the hopes of stimulating new approaches to and conceptualizations of the study of emotions in (and beyond) HLE. Capitalizing on the above, in this introductory article, we lay out key theoretical cornerstones underpinning the emotional–affective turn in HL studies. To that end, we first turn to providing a brief snapshot of emotion research in SLA and HLE as growing, yet largely disconnected, fields of work.

Various models within the behavioral and neurosciences (Barrett & Satpute, 2017; Butler, 2017; LeBlanc et al., 2015; Li et al., 2020; Pessoa, 2018), as well as in SLA (Dewaele & Li, 2020; Gregersen et al., 2014; Wang, 2020), highlight the theoretical and pedagogical implications of affective variables in learning processes. These models have forged pathways for new instruments (e.g., Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014; Li, 2023), methodologies (e.g., MacIntyre, 2012), and psychosocial movements (e.g., Multilingual Learning Toolkit, 2023; Pishghadam et al., 2013) solidly situating emotion in language learning. Still, though the growing number of scholars addressing emotions in SLA gives ample opportunity to investigate myriad variables and contexts and evaluate the implications for language classrooms, the literature has been largely insensitive to the diversity of language learning contexts and learners’ sociolinguistic profiles. As a result, significant questions can be posed regarding the validity and implications of existing work for a global audience, as classrooms in Western countries have remained the main focal point in these agendas.

A close inspection of the research on emotions in SLA reveals an overwhelming representation of so-called second language (L2) or foreign language (FL) learners and learning contexts, with heritage, migrant, and minoritized languages and Indigenous learner communities largely absent in empirical work. In addition, a majority of the research bases itself on Western and Global North conceptualizations of emotion, which results in a very narrow realm of emotional dynamics that may not apply to multilingual and multicultural learners. Moreover, this focus on the L2 or FL learner may fail to recognize emotions that have not been detected or acknowledged within traditional L2 learning paradigms, or otherwise translate into assumptions of similarity between L2 and FL learners and other learner types. For example, though linguistic insecurity has appeared in narrative work with HLL populations (e.g., Coryell & Clark, 2009; Tseng, 2021), the number of empirical studies addressing this intersection is minimal (e.g., Driver, 2023). Therefore, larger efforts are yet to be seen that situate the HLL experience within emotions research in SLA. In short, broader learner populations have received little attention, leaving the emotional aspects of minoritized—and often racialized—forms of multilingualism out of most research agendas (Prada et al., 2020), and the field largely unaware of and ill prepared for the emotional dynamics that might arise in HL contexts.

Indeed, with expanding patterns of globalization, the number of HSs around the world continues to rise, and this population has attracted particular attention in SLA. Even so, the topic of emotion is largely overlooked by scholars in HLE or mentioned as an afterthought to other central investigative concerns. This is so even as emotional themes, such as shame and embarrassment, are often included in narrative accounts of HS experiences. To be clear, much of the HL research alluding to emotions that does exist still often assumes a one-to-one parallel for emotional reactions and implications between L2 and HL settings. This poses particular problems for (a) conceptualizing emotions within HL contexts, (b) preparing educators and guardians for the negative emotions that might arise in HL learning environments, and (c) assessing whether the beneficial effects of thus-far-studied positive emotions apply within HLE. Within SLA, for example, anxiety has been long identified as a common negative emotion in L2 classrooms, and there has been considerable research leading to practical pedagogical interventions to make use of positive emotions, such as enjoyment, to combat anxiety for L2 learners. For HSs, however, the field remains largely uninformed by research into the variety of emotions involved in HL learning, such as linguistic insecurity and generational trauma, or how to successfully create positive and effective learning environments for HL speakers. Given HSs’ intimate social, intercultural, and historical connections to their HL, HLE is never an emotionally neutral endeavor, and consideration of the emotional connections and implications of HL contexts is highly warranted.