Hmong heritage language learners: A phenomenological approach
Author(s):
Vang, May
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
Ph.D.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, 2012.
Pages:
124
Language:
English
Abstract:
This study looks at the experiences of learning Hmong for adult Hmong heritage students. The development of the Hmong written script is couched within the history of its people. Its development is directly tied to sociopolitical relationships, history of colonization and war, and religious motivations. With the advent of the RPA (Romanized Popular Alphabet) and the circumstances of the Hmong Diaspora, Hmong literacy is now spreading across international boundaries. This study uses a phenomenological approach to arrive at understanding the essence of what it means to learn Hmong as an adult heritage language learner. Data were gathered through interviews which asked the participants to detail (1) their lived experiences, (2) the process of learning Hmong, and (3) reflect on and make meaning of the experience of learning Hmong and the Hmong identity. There were 7 participants who participated in three rounds of interviews per participant for a total of 21 interviews. By utilizing free imaginative variation, differing perspectives are taken into account to arrive at the essential components of the experience. Findings reveal that the core components of adult Hmong heritage language learning include the integrated narrative of the collective and individual emigration experience, evaluation of their own language in light of their definition of the Hmong identity, and their own agency in taking positions regarding their language and identity which run counter to internalized silencing of the Hmong language and identity. These results suggest a broader understanding of Hmong heritage language learning not only focused on specific features of language, but inclusive of the struggles and ways in which adult Hmong Americans mediate the process of attaining the heritage language.