High Stakes Assessment of Heritage Languages: The Case of the Victorian Certificate of Education

Abstract

The opportunity to receive credit toward a high school diploma for heritage language study has been shown to act as a major factor in motivating students to enroll in heritage language (HL) classes. Such courses can allow students to develop higher-order literacy skills in the heritage language and help prepare them to use the HL in work contexts. But the heterogeneity of the HL student body creates a number of challenges for equitable assessment.