ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on discussing ways in which teachers can provide a meaningful classroom-based experience for Chinese heritage learners of whatever background or experience within a regular lesson with non-Chinese background classmates. Chinese textbooks also assume learners to be a ‘homogenous’ grouping, giving little recognition of diversity in language and culture background or identity. The chapter discusses the term Chinese Heritage Learner follows the definitions of G. Valdes and M. Carreira and O. Kagan, and identifies a heritage learner as one who used Chinese regularly before attending school, and continues to use the language to some extent, although is English dominant. Despite the significant motivating forces to study Chinese as their heritage language, classroom experiences can be and often are powerful demotivating factors for many heritage learners. New language learning required, especially for second language learners, would include vocabulary related to curriculum, and school structures, and to activities associated with school life.
