The benefits and importance of preserving learners’ heritage (or native) languages

Abstract

This chapter examines how the teaching and learning of the language of schooling should never occur at the expense of students losing their native (heritage) languages. It argues that classrooms should actively embrace and celebrate linguistic diversity by treating heritage languages as valuable assets rather than obstacles. Key themes include learners’ right to maintain their heritage language, the ways in which a strong foundation in the first language (L1) facilitates second-language (L2) acquisition through skill transfer, cognitive advantages of bilingualism, and the role of parents in developing family language policies. The chapter highlights research (e.g., Cummins’ Common Underlying Proficiency model) showing that continued development of the heritage language supports overall cognitive growth, academic success, identity formation, and family/community connections, while providing practical guidance for teachers on supporting bilingualism without requiring knowledge of the students’ home languages.