Turkish Heritage Language Programs for Immigrant Children in the United States: The Current State and Opportunities

Abstract

This study investigates Turkish community centers (weekend schools) in the United States. These centers are usually used as places of worship, cultural centers, and/or heritage language programs for immigrant children. This study aims to provide a snapshot of Turkish heritage language programs with a descriptive research design by collecting information from administrators and/or teachers of Turkish community centers in the United States. Administrators and/or teachers from 12 different centers responded to the online survey which consisted of questions on categories such as organizational, teacher-related, student-related, and parental issues. The data was analyzed with content analysis based on these categories. The results of the study demonstrates that Turkish heritage language programs overwhelmingly function within the informal cultural context on a voluntary basis and are not integrated into the formal education system. Although the center leaders expend effort to attract kids and parents, enrollments remain low and concentrated among primary school-age children. These centers are overwhelmingly funded by the community, the Turkish state, and private organizations and lack support from U.S. institutions. While some centers prioritize religious education, others give only cultural education. They generally offer few classes, employ teachers with minimal experience, and do not sufficiently collaborate with each other. This study concludes that community centers play a critical role in maintaining heritage languages since they are the only spaces for Turkish children’s professional language development. They provide immigrant families and children with complex social, cultural, and educational experiences. The field needs further study that explores the role of these complex interactions in heritage language proficiency.