Arabic heritage students and their language-learning experiences: Limits and highlights

The presence of Arabic heritage students in classroom poses challenges especially in those language-teaching contexts where mainly traditional approaches are in use. This study deals with heritage learners’ (HLs) language education, the methods of teaching/assessing the students are faced with in their career and their success rate. In the first part of the article I focus on the definition of HLs across language and cultural issues based on literature. In the findings session, I analyse the specific situation of a group of HLs who study Arabic in Milan (Italy), by exploring aspects of their secondary and university language instruction. I collect statistic information through quantitative research by using a structured questionnaire. I later compare the data gathered about the HLs’ instruction with that of their non-heritage colleagues by using inferential statistics. For this purpose, I employ parametrical and non-parametrical tests. In the subsequent discussion session, I delve into the surveyed HLs’ language learning experience also in the light of socio-economic conditions and teaching/assessing methods, and by focussing on the importance of early literacy in Arabic for their linguistic success. I finally draw conclusions on possible convergent needs of heritage and non-heritage learners (NHLs) and the potential of the formers’ presence in mixed classes rather than the advantages of “forking out” the courses.