Heritage Language Community Schools and Internationalization
摘要
Heritage Language Community Schools (HLCS) have contributed to children’s cultural and linguistic identities as much as to the cultural and educational interconnectedness of different countries. Research on HLCS has investigated a variety of aspects; however, internationalization is yet to be explored in that context. This chapter addresses this gap with illustrations from previous studies related to Brazilian HLCS in the United Kingdom (UK). It starts with discussions about internationalization in Higher Education, the main educational context of the studies on the theme. Issues related to Heritage Languages, especially Portuguese, are then raised. Next, an overview of the characteristics of HLCS is provided. These studies on educational and linguistic internationalization are then used as a basis for reflections on how internationalization takes place in HLCS, with a focus on the ones organized by the Brazilian community in the UK. This chapter argues that internationalization is an integral dimension of HLCS. The chapter concludes by encouraging critical dialogues about the internationalization potential of these schools among stakeholders and with policymakers.