Bilingual and Heritage Language Programs

Bilingual and Heritage Language Programs
General Information

The Minnesota Humanities Center's work in bilingual and heritage language programs highlights the importance of heritage languages, connects educators to existing resources that enhance language development, offers professional development on oral traditions and the connection between language and culture, and collaborates with community representatives to develop new culturally and linguistically appropriate resources.

The Humanities Center provides assistance to families by working with those who serve their early language and literacy needs: teachers, parent educators, early childhood educators, librarians, social service providers, and cultural organizations. This work supports the development of English literacy skills of families while recognizing and supporting heritage languages in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Humanities Center offers the following bilingual and heritage language programs:

Somali Bilingual Initiative, including the training and events for professionals who work with Somali families, such as the Somali Language and Literacy Conferences and Sheeko Wadaag/Sharing Stories: From Home Language to School Literacy with Somali Families; and the Somali Bilingual Book Project
Spanish Bilingual Initiative
Hmong Translation Initiative
Dakota and Ojibwe Language and Literacy
And resources:

Definition of program terms
Bilingual: Possessing knowledge of two languages - the ability to speak two languages
Heritage Language: The United States is rich in diverse language and cultures. Heritage language speakers, who include refugee, immigrant, and indigenous groups, contribute to this richness. Heritage language speakers are those whose home or ancestral language is other than English, including those whose ancestors lived in this country prior to the establishment of the United State and those who have come in recent years. Source: Center for Applied Linguistics