Arabic Heritage Learners Institute

with proficiency

adequate for professional-level use. Because of their basis of knowledge, many

heritage speakers, with the proper instruction, can reach professional level proficiency

more quickly than foreign language students. It is a known fact that language reflects

the nature of the society that uses it. I believe in the importance of cultivating a true

appreciation for cultural, ethnic and linguistic diversity in students, who should be

encouraged to view culturally inherent differences as building blocks rather than

barriers that offer challenging opportunities to explore and grow both academically

and socially. Cultural

competence is formed when using real life topics, teaching texts; that are authentic

relevant to the learner experience, in terms of style; rhetoric, register and skills. Students Arabic Heritage Learners ( AHLs) have skills that distinguish them sharply

from traditional foreign language learners. They typically have high oral/aural

proficiency, combined with undeveloped, and in some cases non-existent, literacy. Particularly in the early stages of language study, therefore, HL and non-HL students

have distinctly different needs in the classroom.