Heritage Language Blog ~ by HL Global Think Tank & FOHLC Europe

In an increasingly diverse world, the ability to honour and celebrate linguistic variety has never been more important. That’s precisely the aim of Traditional Tales, Untraditionally Told   — a project I lead at the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the Maker{Futures} team. This project invites schools and libraries to reimagine storytelling through the lens of multilingualism and creative, maker-centred engagement, and holds exciting opportunities for heritage language education. A fresh take on storytelling: Language meets making At the heart of Traditional Tales, Untraditionally Told is the belief that storytelling doesn't need to be confined to a single language or traditional format, and that children should be encouraged to bring their home/heritage languages into public spaces. The project brings multilingual families into libraries and schools, empowering them to tell stories using all their languages  — t hrough playful, hands-on making and digital, sto...

A new "Review Rubric" has been published for heritage language (HL) programs worldwide, designed to help managers, teachers, and administrators reflect on their organization’s practices and spark discussion on improvement strategies. It is simple, accessible, and will spark constructive discussions—even for programs new to self-evaluation. A new "Review Rubric" has been published for heritage language (HL) programs worldwide. It was developed by members of the HL Global Think Tank, building on years of international collaboration to define universal principles and good practices that can guide HL programs regardless of language or location. Who's it for? The rubric is designed for managers, teachers, board members, and volunteers who want to reflect on their organization’s values, operations, educational offerings, and community outreach. It is simple, accessible, and will spark constructive discussions—even for programs new to self-evaluation. Adaptable tool Th...

On the weekends you do your best for your community, you volunteer your time and hard work  –  and during the week you still attend your regular job. Or maybe you focus all of your time on your heritage community. Either way, you do it just because it is the right thing to do, the thing that helps so many people around you. You do not expect anything from it. Probably people do not even see all that you do. However, sometimes the hard work can show: we would like to congratulate our team member Jana Nahodilová, originally from the Czech Republic, who recently received a medal from the Czech Prime Minister for her long term support of the Czech community in the United Kingdom and for her extraordinary contribution to the development of the Czech language, culture, and historical heritage abroad. And what is Jana's long term contribution? Jana is not only member of the FOHLC Europe team, she started her own Czech and Slovak school "Okénko" in London more than 13 years ago. ...

For many parents raising children abroad, one question looms large: How can we maintain our home language in predominantly different-language environment? And what happens when the other parent speaks a different native language altogether? Managing a multilingual family is not just about choosing which language to speak at home – it is a deeply personal and often emotional process that touches on identity, heritage and belonging. This post explores how Czech-speaking parents and their children in Ireland navigate language ideologies and management strategies in everyday life.  This article presents selected findings of a Master’s thesis conducted at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, based on semi-structured interviews with parents and their children. Seven families, including thirteen children aged between 8 and 15, took part in the research. All of the children had, at some point, attended the Czech School Dublin in Ireland  – complementary school for heritage langu...

At our most recent FOHLC Café , we had a lovely meetup of fourteen professionals in heritage language education, who gathered online from Iceland, Netherlands, France, Spain, the U.S., England, and Ireland. They grabbed a cup of coffee and met up to get inspiration for how to motivate teenager language learners. One solution? Journalism works!   “When teens see a connection between French language and professional opportunities, their motivation increases significantly.” - Stéphanie Adelaide   Our first guest speaker was Danielle Capron in Germany. She teaches French heritage language learners in Frankfurt and was having trouble keeping the older students engaged. There were students quitting when they reached secondary education. Having had experience working at a radio station, Danielle had the idea to start a radio show project with her students. For 6 hours per month they created a program with content, interviews, and music – and once a month the students meet...

On 22nd of March, we proudly opened the doors of Casa do Livro , the first Brazilian community library in London. This milestone marks the realization of a vision that began eight years ago when there was a large book donation made to the late institution, Casa do Brasil. From that moment, the desire to create a dedicated space where Brazilian immigrants and their families could access Portuguese-language books, celebrate their cultural heritage, and foster a sense of belonging began.  Thanks to a renewed partnership with the Wisehands Foundation , that dream is now a reality. Located in the heart of Brent, London , Casa do Livro stands as a hub for learning, connection, and cultural preservation. This space is more than a library—it is a home for our stories, our language, and our collective identity. A mission rooted in access and inclusion Casa do Livro is committed to making Portuguese-language literature, Brazilian culture, and language education accessible to the community. O...

An interview with Constantine Ioannou, Executive Director at the International Languages Educators' Association of Ontario (ILEA Ontario) and key advocate for heritage language education in Canada. The Ontario model of “International Languages” education is admired within Canada – and within Ontario, Ottawa has emerged as the leading example. Discover how the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) uses funding to pay heritage language teachers, while at the same time collaborating with community-based language groups as essential partners. This interview is a re-post from the HLE Network website .    Constantine Ioannou, Executive Director at the International Languages Educators' Association of Ontario (ILEA Ontario) In Ontario, the public school system is responsible for organizing and funding heritage language education: Ontario’s “International Languages Programs” (ILPs) include the teaching of over 70 languages across the province! The Ontario model of the Interna...