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96: Teaching Heritage Language Learners with Courtney Nygaard


Do you have heritage speakers in your language class or perhaps you have full classes of heritage speakers? In this episode, we are talking about how to design and implement curriculum and daily class activities that meet the specific needs of heritage speakers. Courtney Nygaard, who has full classes of heritage speakers in Minnesota, joins me to talk about how she designs her classes and offers useful tips and suggestions for working with this unique group of students.

Topics in this Episode:

  • who our heritage language learners are and how Courtney came to teaching this population of students
  • the early days, lessons learned and where Courtney is now with her heritage language classes
  • what the curriculum looks like with heritage speakers and how this differs from the “typical” second language curriculum
  • Courtney’s core beliefs behind her heritage learner curriculum
  • the core components of her curriculum and her process for delivering it
  • differentiating what can be a wide ranges in proficiency, particularly with regard to literacy

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