ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how new understandings of language, literacy, and identity in the late modern era have provided a richer and more personalized basis for second/foreign language learning pedagogy and, in addition, greater space for the unique situation and needs of heritage language (HL) learners to be taken into account. Complementing the deeper engagement with intercultural understanding and skills in pedagogical thinking are cross-curricular/thematic and content based approaches to language teaching. Classroom interactions between teacher and student are considered crucial in maximizing both cognitive engagement and identity investment, the latter referring to positive affirmation of students' cultural, linguistic, and personal identities. There is increasing recognition that a multiliteracies view and the critical, dialogic pedagogy that it espouses has important implications for language teaching. A focus on HLs and multiliteracies has for many years featured strongly in the work of the Centre for Language, Culture, and Learning in the Department of Educational Studies at Goldsmiths.
