Mohamed Ndiaye
Prof.Anna Barattin
English
15April 2025
Proposal
When kids move to a new country,they’re not just picking up a new language—they’re trying to figure out who they are in a brand-new world. For a lot of children of immigrants, language isn’t just about talking; it’s a piece of home they get to carry with them. It’s comfort, connection, and a way to hang onto who they are when everything else feels different. This project is about how heritage language creates that sense of safety and belonging.
Thebig question I’m asking is: How does speaking and keeping a heritage language help immigrant kids feel secure and connected? I’m coming into this believing that language does way more than help kids communicate—it helps them stay emotionally strong, keeps them close to their families, and gives them a way to stay tied to their culture. Especially when the pressure to fit in can make kids feel like they have to let go of parts of themselves, language can be a lifeline.
Todig into this, I’m planning to mix research with some real-world stories. I’ll read up on what scholars have said, but I also want to talk to kids of immigrants directly—ask them how they feel when they speak their home language versus the dominant one. I’m hoping to also check out bilingual classrooms and see what happens when schools create spaces where heritage languages are part of the day-to-day. My plan is to spend a few weeks gathering information, then pull it all together into a full argument.
Thisproposal is just the starting point. I know my ideas will shift as I learn more, but my main goal is to figure out how language gives kids something solid to stand on when everything else feels shaky.
KeyWords: Heritage Language, Immigrant Children, Cultural Identity, Safe Spaces, Bilingual
Education
Annotated Bibliography
Conteh,Jean, and Avril Brock. "Heritage Language, Identity, and Safe Space in a
Bilingual Kindergarten." International Journal of Bilingual Educationand Bilingualism, vol. 19, no. 5, 2016, pp. 523–538.
Contehand Brock explore how bilingual kindergarten classrooms support heritage
languages and offer kids a space to feel seen and heard. They introduce “safe spaces” where students express themselves in both languages, which strengthens their identities. Their research, based on classroom observations, emphasizes how early exposure to language inclusion can have long-term effects on emotional security and learning.
Thisarticle helps show how classrooms can validate home languages and foster belonging. It’s a credible, well-researched piece, and supports my point that school settings play a key role in keeping heritage language alive.
Quotes:"The notion of ‘safe spaces’ describes places where bilingual learners can enact their identities, feel a sense of belonging, and successfully learn." (p. 524)
"Withoutstrong, consistent support from home, the children would quickly lose what they had learned when they transitioned into the English-speaking school environment." (p. 535)
Suárez-Orozco,Carola, et al. "Language, Culture, and Adaptation in Immigrant
Children." The Future of Children, vol. 21, no. 1, 2011, pp. 1–20.
This article connects language development to emotional and cultural adjustment in immigrant children, especially in Latino communities. It argues that holding onto a heritage language supports mental health and helps kids feel more grounded in their identity. The authors draw from psychology and sociology to make their case.
Thissource shows that language is more than a tool—it’s tied to how kids see themselves and cope with challenges. It reinforces the emotional benefits of maintaining two languages, which is central to my project.
Quotes:"Specific aspects of the dual language development of immigrant children are highly relevant to their mental health and adaptation." (p. 3)
"Duallanguage development and its mental health impact [are] differentiated from the dual culture (bicultural) development and circumstance of immigrant children." (p. 5)
Tseng,Vivian, and Andrew J. Fuligni. "Shared Language Erosion: Rethinking
Immigrant Family Relationships." Child Development Perspectives,vol. 4, no. 3, 2010, pp. 178–182.
Tsengand Fuligni discuss how kids losing their heritage language can lead to emotional distance from their parents. They call this “shared language erosion,” where families struggle to connect because they no longer speak the same language fluently. This breakdown affects emotional closeness and creates conflict.
Thisarticle is useful for showing how language supports strong family relationships. It’s backed by data and psychological insights, and it strengthens my argument that language helps kids feel emotionally supported at home.
Quotes:"Over 40 percent of Latino immigrant adolescents report high levels of misunderstanding in their communication with their parents due to navigating two languages at home." (p. 179)
"Parent-adolescentconflict [is] perhaps the most noticeable effect of Shared Language Erosion." (p. 181)
