Chinese heritage school's role in Chinese language maintenance and identity formation in the U.S

This dissertation is a case study that explores the function of a U.S.-based Chinese heritage school in the U.S. by investigating how administrators, teachers and parents describe their perspectives and actions in developing Chinese language and forming Chinese identity for their students or children.;Four research procedures were used to collect data in this case study. A survey of parents was conducted at the beginning of the research to help select parent participants and understand the demographics of the school research site. Interviews of administrators, teachers and parents were the primary data source; field notes of teachers' classroom practices and school documents were analyzed to understand adults' beliefs and actions in carrying out the Chinese school's role in language maintenance and identity. Methodology involved discourse analysis of transcribed interviews, observation notes and documents. The findings show what administrators say about fostering a bilingual bicultural identity for their students; what teachers say and do to create an authentic Chinese learning environment and allow multi-faceted identities to develop and change. According to parents, maintaining their children's interest in Chinese language and identity is the key. They state that their goal is to prepare their children for a more competitive globally interconnected world in the future.;This study of a single Chinese heritage language school provides a deeper understanding of adults' discourses around heritage language learning and identity formation; it suggests a need for further study of such schools, particularly students' discourses and actions in response to these efforts.