Browsing by Author "Božović, Dušica"

The aim of this research was to investigate the teaching of pluricentric languages as heritage languages in Finland, examine how they are perceived, and explore the expectations related to their teaching. Moreover, the study aimed to identify successful approaches in the teaching of pluricentric heritage languages. The motivation for conducting this study was my personal experience of teaching a pluricentric language as a heritage language and the limited coverage of this topic in academic literature. In addition, the lack of attention paid to attitudes in heritage language studies was also noted in the literature. The method used is a direct measures approach. Respondents provided their answers through a questionnaire predominantly including Likert-scale statements. The findings indicate that there is a desire to improve communication among the stakeholders in heritage language teaching. Respondents expressed positive attitudes towards groups with different language varieties and active inclusion of different varieties in class. They believed that all varieties should be treated as equally valid, and teachers should not treat forms of other varieties as mistakes. Studying in a linguistically heterogeneous group was seen as an enriching experience that can contribute to combating prejudices and building solidarity among speakers. The limitations of the study included a small number of respondents and imbalanced material in terms of language. The findings of the study have practical implications for heritage language coordinators and educators in their planning and teaching activities, as well as for policymakers seeking to enhance heritage language education. Additionally, the study advances the academic discourse on heritage language teaching and suggests areas for further research. Heritage language teaching in general requires significant improvement to achieve its aims. The study highlights the importance of addressing issues in pluricentric heritage language teaching and implementing strategies that promote positive attitudes towards language varieties and effective communication between coordinators, teachers, and guardians.