ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the institutionalization of heritage language (HL) teaching in postsecondary institutions in the U. S., including what are known as "four-year colleges and universities," as well as two-year colleges. In terms of impediments to institutionalization, G. Valdes et al. found room for improvement in the areas of placement, teacher education, and curriculum design. Survey findings provide important insights into the state of institutionalization of HL teaching. The chapter also examines the primary "structured organization” are postsecondary foreign-language programs or departments that teach heritage language learners'. Relative to other strands of research in HL teaching, institutional practices have received modest attention. All in all, a review of the literature on institutional practices at the postsecondary level underscores the need for monitoring and greater visibility of HL teaching, particularly for languages other than Spanish. Greater visibility and monitoring of institutional practices involving HLs are critical to advancing the institutionalization of HL pedagogy.
