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Heritage language maintenance by Korean-American college students

Abstract

This chapter examines what individual and social-psychological factors best predict Korean heritage language learners’ maintenance of heritage language (HL) proficiency. The examined predictors are age of immigration, length of Korean language education, degree and frequency of HL use, cultural identity, and motivation. A language background survey and a Korean language proficiency test developed by KICE (Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation) were administered to 120 Korean-American college students. The results of the study indicate that although most of the examined predictors are significantly related to Korean language proficiency, the degree and frequency of HL use is found to be the best predictor of one’s HL proficiency. The participants’ narrative responses on their HL maintenance also reveal that those who maintain a higher level of Korean language proficiency are more highly motivated to maintain Korean, have had more parental involvement in HL maintenance, and use more Korean than those who are not as proficient.

Abstract

This chapter examines what individual and social-psychological factors best predict Korean heritage language learners’ maintenance of heritage language (HL) proficiency. The examined predictors are age of immigration, length of Korean language education, degree and frequency of HL use, cultural identity, and motivation. A language background survey and a Korean language proficiency test developed by KICE (Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation) were administered to 120 Korean-American college students. The results of the study indicate that although most of the examined predictors are significantly related to Korean language proficiency, the degree and frequency of HL use is found to be the best predictor of one’s HL proficiency. The participants’ narrative responses on their HL maintenance also reveal that those who maintain a higher level of Korean language proficiency are more highly motivated to maintain Korean, have had more parental involvement in HL maintenance, and use more Korean than those who are not as proficient.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Author information ix
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Section 1: Heritage language development among East Asian immigrant families
  7. The role of parents in heritage language maintenance and development 15
  8. Balancing L1 maintenance and L2 learning 33
  9. Grandparents, grandchildren, and heritage language use in Korean 57
  10. Section 2: The influence of educational institutions on heritage language development
  11. Heritage language development 89
  12. High-stakes testing and heritage language maintenance 127
  13. Japanese English bilingual children in three different language environments 145
  14. Section 3: Heritage language use and proficiency: Associated and predictive factors
  15. Heritage language maintenance by Korean-American college students 175
  16. First language use and language behavior of Chinese students in Toronto, Canada 209
  17. East Asian heritage language proficiency development 243
  18. References 259
  19. Index 279
Heritage Language Development
This chapter is in the book Heritage Language Development
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.32.13kim

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgments vii
  4. Author information ix
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Section 1: Heritage language development among East Asian immigrant families
  7. The role of parents in heritage language maintenance and development 15
  8. Balancing L1 maintenance and L2 learning 33
  9. Grandparents, grandchildren, and heritage language use in Korean 57
  10. Section 2: The influence of educational institutions on heritage language development
  11. Heritage language development 89
  12. High-stakes testing and heritage language maintenance 127
  13. Japanese English bilingual children in three different language environments 145
  14. Section 3: Heritage language use and proficiency: Associated and predictive factors
  15. Heritage language maintenance by Korean-American college students 175
  16. First language use and language behavior of Chinese students in Toronto, Canada 209
  17. East Asian heritage language proficiency development 243
  18. References 259
  19. Index 279
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