Heritage Speakers and Learners of French at the Tertiary Level: Curricular Implications

Abstract

This dissertation utilizes qualitative methodology to investigate the experiences and needs of heritage speakers of French in higher education through a locally focused study at the University of Maryland, with the broader aim of contributing to a national understanding of this population of speakers. While heritage language education has gained momentum in the last couple of years, French heritage speakers remain underrepresented in research and curriculum development. Typically, these students demonstrate strong oral and aural competencies but have more limited literacy skills in the heritage language, particularly in writing. This study places students at the center by identifying their particular cultural and linguistic needs in mixed-learner classrooms, where students who acquired the language at home and those who learned it formally in school study together, often with significantly differing language proficiencies. It explores how heritage learners’ linguistic, cultural, and professional goals can inform curriculum design and guide the development of needs-based instruction. A needs assessment survey was conducted to examine students’ priorities and perceived gaps in their learning experience. Although cultural identity was expected to be a central motivator, the findings revealed that students were primarily driven by the desire to strengthen their French for professional and social purposes. Respondents also expressed strong interest in explicit instruction in grammar and writing. The survey findings inform ways to better support these French heritage students’ learning process, leading to suggestions for inclusive curricular adjustments. Drawing on task-based and content-based, this dissertation proposes a framework adaptable to other postsecondary institutions.