Multilingualism
Why Every Language Counts!

What is Heritage Language Education (HLE)?

Students in European schools engage daily with different forms of language education. Studying the language of the country in which they attend school as a first or second language (for example learning Swedish or Swedish as a second language in Sweden) is usually a priority, and one or sometimes two additional languages (English and German in France, or Swedish and French in Finland) is common. The languages used in multilingual families, for example Greek, in families from Greece living in countries other than Greece, in this text called heritage languages, are however rarely available as language subjects in mainstream schools.

Heritage Language Education (HLE) aims to support multilingual families in passing their language and cultural traditions on to the next generation. It is a form of language education that exists in most countries around the world, often pre-dating formal education (Cruickshank & Wahlin 2024). HLE is, however, rarely offered in mainstream education. With the exception of the Nordic countries, where different models for mother tongue instruction in mainstream education are available (Alisaari et al. 2024), HLE is usually organized on weekends or evenings in rented premises known as “complementary” “community language” or “heritage language” schools.

Why is HLE important?

The right to use your own language is underlined in the Convention of the Rights of the Child, and we know that for on-going use of a language, education is key. There are many reasons to invest in HLE. As Jim Cummins once pointed out, the potential for societies and families to benefit from multilingual competences is lost when formal education in languages that multilingual children already speak is not provided (Cummins 2005). When multilingual children start attending mainstream schools, their knowledge of the societal majority language and culture increases rapidly. However, without also participating in HLE, students’ competences and sometimes interest in the heritage language can decline. Especially in families where parents’ competences in the majority language are limited, in-depth communication in the heritage language becomes challenging and the risk for communication breakdown is tangible (Wong Fillmore 2000). HLE can thus make an important contribution to well-being in multilingual families. Moreover, HLE has also been shown to contribute to academic success in general (Ganuza & Hedman 2017). However, HLE faces many challenges, both ideological and organizational.

Ideological and organizational challenges

We all have ideas about languages; how they “should” be used and even about their value to society and on a personal level. These ideas are not necessarily based on facts, but sometimes gain popularity, persisting as myths that can in the worst cases lead to language loss. For example, multilingual children, particularly those who have recently migrated to a new country sometimes believe there is little or no need for education in the languages they already know (HLE). They do not consider the fact that the majority language, also “known” by children who were born and grew up in the country in question, is a core subject in schools! For of course, formal study and use of a language is key to improving competences in it.

In terms of organization, there is uneven provision in HLE. Not all children who speak languages that differ from majority languages have access to complementary schools, which are often located in urban centres (Reath Warren 2017). Moreover, proficiency in HLs is rarely formally recognized in school records, which decreases students’ motivation to participate.

A marginalized form of language education

Although there is nothing inherently “better” about one language than another, the fact the HLE is so often marginalized contributes negatively to its status. Students can gain the impression that the languages used by their families and communities are not important, and not worth studying. Particularly in families who have recently migrated to new countries, the focus is often on learning the majority language, and spending time on studying a language they speak already feels like a waste of time.

Increasing knowledge, access and development

To address these challenges, the project Your Language Counts! developed a range of materials both to educate stakeholders about HLE, and for use in HLE. Together, these materials provide a package that can be used by parents, teachers, principals or interested community members, to argue for the importance and inclusion of heritage languages and HLE in mainstream schools (Goethe-Institut 2026a).

Skills for communicative competence in a globalized world

Knowledge about how languages are used in the daily lives of learners (sociolinguistic knowledge), including critical linguistic awareness, where knowledge about language use is shaped by and shapes power relations in the context is necessary to inspire interest in and understanding of HLE. This knowledge can inform learning activities about HLE itself, as well as HLE lessons themselves. As a form of language education, communicative competence is also a key goal. Drawing on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, the framework for HLE developed in the project Your Language Counts! describes activities designed to stimulate reading, writing, speaking and interactions skills in heritage language learners.

Four perspectives for teaching and learning HLs

This framework was designed with valuable input on family perspectives, organization, teaching materials and heritage language teachers, from working groups in the project. The final model includes a contextual backdrop, theoretical perspectives on HLE and twelve teaching activities based around four overlapping perspectives deemed central in HLE: language, identity, interculturality and knowledge. An example of an activity about identity is the language portrait exercise, in which student visually represent the languages they speak on a human silhouette. They then use their drawing as the basis for a written text or oral discussion about their linguistic identity (Ackermann-Boström et al. 2024: 31).

The whole model was implemented with 18 teachers of Arabic, Persian, Russian, Somali, Turkish, Ukrainian in three European countries. The Your Language Counts! project as a whole was formally evaluated, with the following main findings. The framework and teaching activities were appreciated by heritage language teachers, who often lack materials for teaching. The process of learning through implementation and knowledge exchange in several European countries was also found to be highly effective, and moreover, strengthened communication in families that were involved (Schroeder et al. 2026: 30). But there is still much work to be done; in other countries and contexts, and with other age groups (Your Language Counts! focused primarily on heritage language students aged 12 to 16).

In sum

HLE will continue to play a vital role in the lives of transnational families. While every context, national, regional and local, has its own affordances and limitations, the importance of giving multilingual children the opportunity to use and develop their own language remains. HLE provides opportunities for schools and educational authorities to take responsibility for the academic success and well-being of multilingual children, because every language really does matter!