What does it mean to be a "heritage speaker"? The answer is a bit complicated. In this episode Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta speaks with Professor Silvina Montrul on the topic of heritage language speakers and what language acquisition patterns may look like. How are heritage speakers like native speakers? How are they like second language learners? How may this affect language attainment? Join us as we delve into Professor Silvina Montrul's research and knowledge on these topics!

To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.

To read about Professor's Montrul's research, visit: https://spanport.illinois.edu/directory/profile/montrul

Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbisson

Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.uk

Follow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists

In this episode Dr Marie-Josée Bisson and Dr Kaitlyn Zavaleta discuss raising children bilingually. Exposure to another language does not just occur in the classroom but may also occur in the home environment. This episode emphasises that individual experiences in speaking heritage languages in the home are unique, and that home exposure to heritage languages should be celebrated; even a little exposure goes a long way!

To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.

Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbisson

Or get in touch via email: language.scientists@dmu.ac.uk

Follow our Instagram page @the_language_scientists

In this Episode, Dr Bisson talks to Professor Emma Marsden about a really important change coming to the French, German and Spanish curriculum in England. There is going to be a more defined and constrained list of words that students have to learn and that are allowed to be on the GCSE exams. Is this going to make a difference to the number of students that choose to study languages at secondary schools? We think so! Join us to find out how many words are on the list and how this change came about.

To find out more behind-the-scenes information about this topic or about our podcast, please visit our webpage, languagescientists.dmu.ac.uk. This is where you can go to ask questions, leave comments, or even participate in our current research! We'd love to hear from YOU.

Follow Dr Zavaleta and Dr Bisson on twitter: @dr_klzavaleta and @mjbisson

Or get in touch via email: kaitlyn.zavaleta@dmu.ac.uk and marie-josee.bisson@dmu.ac.uk

Links to some of the initiatives mentioned in the podcast

Oasis research summaries: read one-page accessible research summaries

LP Pedagogy resources: access over 1000 language resources, schemes of works and word lists

Multiling Profiler: check that a text meets the language knowledge of your learners