The academic landscape for Russian heritage learning in U.S. colleges: Understanding institutional practices and identifying opportunities

Language classrooms in North America have changed significantly in the past decades. They no longer serve only mainstream second language learners whose primary exposure to the target language is in the classroom; instead, they now often include heritage language learners, whose exposure to the language began at home and who arrive at college-level language programs with varying degrees of general proficiency and variably developed literacy skills. Heritage speakers are a valuable resource in fostering national expertise in world languages and cultures (Rivers & Brecht, 2018) and may help boost dwindling university enrollment numbers. To better understand how institutional approaches and policies impact the success of heritage learners, this descriptive survey-based study examined responses from experienced Russian language instructors representing 43 Russian language programs across the United States. The online survey provided data for quantitative analysis, including raw numbers, percentages, descriptive statistics, and confidence intervals, as well as insights from open-ended responses. The results show that Russian heritage language learners often remain invisible to institutions and administrators. Institutionalized spaces for heritage students, such as specialized courses, appropriate placement tests, and customized pathways to the completion of a minor or major are not always available.