ABSTRACT
Chinese immigrant communities have a long history of striving for maintaining Chinese as a heritage language (CHL) and Chinese culture among younger generations of Chinese descent. With China’s growing presence in the world, such efforts have been further encouraged. This chapter provides an overview of teaching CHL, mainly in North America and the United Kingdom. It discusses different types of Chinese language programs (i.e. community-based, K-12, and postsecondary) that serve Chinese heritage language learners. To engage all those interested in teaching, learning, and researching CHL, this chapter also explores issues with the CHL teaching force, CHL learners, CHL curriculum, instructional practices, and assessments. Finally, the chapter discusses future prospects of CHL programs, challenges associated with teaching CHL, and recommendations for establishing sustainable teaching Chinese as a heritage language programs in an English-dominant society.
