Seventeenth Heritage Language Research Institute

Monday, June 21, 2027–Wednesday, June 23, 2027

The University of Southern California host's the NHLRC's Seventeenth Heritage Language Research Institute.

HLRI at 20: Looking Back, Moving Forward 

Institute Director: Maria Polinsky (University of Maryland)

Institute Organizer: Zuzanna Fuchs (University of Southern California)

The 17th Heritage Language Research Institute (HLRI), hosted by the University of Southern California on June 21–23, 2027, marks the 20th anniversary of the inaugural Institute, held at the University of California, Davis, in 2007.

Over the past two decades, heritage language studies has grown into a vibrant interdisciplinary field. Research has expanded beyond documenting differences between heritage speakers and other language populations to investigate the complex interplay of linguistic experience, individual variability, and the broader sociocultural contexts in which heritage languages develop and are used. Increasing attention has also been devoted to understanding what shapes heritage language development and supports its maintenance across the lifespan. Heritage language education has likewise shifted toward approaches that build on the linguistic resources students bring from home.

Under the theme “HLRI at 20: Looking Back, Moving Forward,” this year's Institute will reflect on these accomplishments and look ahead to enduring questions and emerging challenges: how to define and study heritage speakers in increasingly complex multilingual environments, how heritage languages develop and are maintained beyond familiar immigrant contexts, and how research and educational practice can better inform one another.

In keeping with its tradition of collaboration and professional development, the Institute will feature thematic panels, poster sessions, and opportunities for mentorship and discussion, as well as interactive workshops for K-16 teachers, heritage speakers, and learners. Researchers, practitioners, and students in fields that focus on or engage with heritage bi/multilingualism, regardless of their theoretical, methodological, pedagogical, or disciplinary perspectives, are especially encouraged to participate in the dialogue.