heritage language
"Heritage languages" are closely tied to cultural and ancestral roots, often reflecting a family's or community's ethnic identity.
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Definition
C1Linguistics
(academic, technical)A minority language learned at home during childhood in a society where another language is dominant, often resulting in varying levels of proficiency.
Example
- Many children in immigrant families grow up speaking a heritage language at home while using the dominant language at school.
B2Cultural Studies
(general)A language associated with one's cultural background or ancestry, often maintained within the family or community.
Example
- She speaks Spanish as her heritage language, connecting her to her grandparents' culture.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "heritage language":
native languagefirst languagemother tonguecommunity languagelanguage learningtarget languagestandard languageworking language