Heritage language maintenance and cultural identity formation: the case of Korean immigrant parents and their children in the USA

This study explores the beliefs and attitudes that Korean immigrant parents and their children in the USA hold about their heritage language. Data were collected through interviews. This study addresses how parents' perspectives and their actual heritage language practices with their children influence their children's cultural identity and heritage language maintenance. Findings suggest that immigrant children's peers and teachers at school who are not from the same ethnic group (co-ethnics) might play a crucial role in helping children to have positive attitudes regarding learning their heritage language, ultimately influencing their positive cultural identity.