Heritage speakers in foreign language learning: the experienced learning environment in the degree programmes of Russian as a foreign language at University of Helsinki

Authors

• Johanna Viimaranta

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33345/idantutkimus.131228

Keywords:

Russian, heritage speaker, language education, higher education

Abstract

 

The article discusses how heritage speakers of Russian experience their learning environment as compared to Finnish-speaking students. A questionnaire was conducted among degree students of Russian as a foreign language at University of Helsinki and was answered by forty respondents. The main result is that students find it important for heritage speakers and foreign language learners to be taught in separate groups. Heritage speakers were also found to differ from foreign language learners in how they experience the studies and their career relevance.