Learners who do not use English at home are typically classified as what type of learner?

• A. First language
• B. Foreign language
• C. Heritage language
• D. Second language

Answer: (D)

When a learner’s home language isn’t English, English is typically considered a second language—the language learned in addition to the native language and used outside the home, in school, with peers, and in the broader community. The home environment starts with the first language, and English is acquired through schooling and everyday interactions beyond that home setting. That’s why this scenario fits the label of a second language learner: English is not the language spoken at home, but it is the new language the learner is developing in addition to their native one.

In contrast, a first language learner would use English at home from birth. A heritage language learner is usually defined by a connection to a specific familial or cultural language that may be used at home or within community contexts but isn’t defined simply by not using English at home. A foreign language label can apply in contexts where the language isn’t used in the surrounding society, but the common classroom-oriented distinction in this situation is second language, since English is being learned in addition to the learner’s native language and used beyond the home.