Sustainability of French Heritage Language Education in the United States

Abstract

Throughout the controversial history of bilingualism and the preservation of heritage languages (HL) in the United States, French has often enjoyed a privileged status, particularly because French has long been the second most commonly studied foreign language in schools and universities. However, access to these classes is often difficult for speakers of French as HL, especially in a country which over more than two centuries has often experienced nativist reactions to speakers of Language Other Than English. Through recent initiatives, such as the creation of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, or the French Heritage Language Program in New York, Florida, and Maine, speakers of French as HL have had increased opportunities to ensure transmission of French to new generations. However, the sustainability of French HL education in the United States remains a challenging endeavor, strongly linked to larger contexts of globalization, national education, and immigration policies, as well as to the ability of local communities to support and maintain French as HL. Most recently, the needs of new immigrants from Francophone countries have converged with those of long standing communities of French descent to open new opportunities. The combined efforts of multiple partners within a larger context of increased awareness of the benefits of multilingualism has given new impetus to the sustainability of French HL education in the United States.