Digital Storytelling to Amplify Heritage Learner Identities and Voices

Abstract

Abstract This study presents four case studies of heritage learners of Spanish who participated in a digital storytelling project in an advanced Spanish course at a university in Western Canada. Through a series of face-to-face and remote workshops, each learner scripted a story containing a language-related event that allowed them to make meaning and reflect on their past experiences as related to language attitudes and ideologies experienced by themselves and others during the event. Data was collected from multiple sources including the participants’ videos and video scripts, written reflections, a questionnaire, and interviews. The participants’ stances and positionings within their digital stories, interviews, and reflections on the project offer revealing insights into their meaning-making processes through digital storytelling. Using a narrative analytical approach, the data analysis resulted in four overarching themes of personal growth, heritage speaker identity, positioning by others, and linguistic [in]security.