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Heritage language loss among immigrant and diaspora communities represents a critical challenge to cultural identity, intergenerational communication, and cognitive diversity. Traditional heritage language maintenance approaches face significant barriers including limited resources, lack of qualified instructors, geographic dispersion, and competing demands of dominant language acquisition. This study investigates the effectiveness of bilingual digital story applications as innovative tools for heritage language maintenance among children aged 4-12 years. Through a 24-month longitudinal mixed-methods study involving 1,843 families across eight language communities (Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Korean, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hindi, and Polish), we examined language proficiency development, cultural identity formation, family engagement patterns, and app usage behaviors. Quantitative analysis of pre- and post-intervention language assessments revealed statistically significant improvements in heritage language vocabulary (effect size d=0.68), listening comprehension (d=0.54), and oral production (d=0.47) among children using bilingual story apps for at least 20 minutes daily. Qualitative findings from parent interviews and child focus groups highlighted the apps' role in making heritage language learning enjoyable, facilitating parent-child interaction, connecting children to cultural narratives, and normalizing bilingualism. However, effectiveness varied substantially based on app design features, with interactive elements, culturally authentic content, parent involvement scaffolds, and adaptive difficulty showing strongest associations with outcomes. This research demonstrates that thoughtfully designed bilingual story apps can serve as accessible, scalable tools for heritage language maintenance, though they function most effectively as complements to rather than substitutes for rich home language environments and community connections. The study contributes empirical evidence to inform app development, family language planning, and policies supporting linguistic diversity in increasingly globalized societies.

In the digital 4.0 era, language literacy and digitalization are key elements in the process of community empowerment, especially in rural areas that still face the challenge of limited access to information and technology. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of language literacy strengthening and digitalization programs in supporting community empowerment in Takalar Regency, with an integrative approach that considers local context and cultural wisdom. The method used is a qualitative approach through participatory action research, which allows for the active involvement of the community in the process of identifying problems and finding solutions. The community service activity (PKM) was held in Ujung Baji Village, Sanrobone District, Takalar Regency on July 10, 2025, involving 25 participants with diverse social and educational backgrounds. The literacy expert team from ADPERTISI plays a role in designing and implementing multilingual-based training programs and approaches that are sensitive to local culture. This program has succeeded in significantly increasing people's digital literacy, with 60% of participants able to utilize technology for MSME development and 40% of participants successfully accessing public services independently through digital platforms. The "Techno-Linguistic Integration" model applied has proven to be effective in overcoming language barriers in the digital technology adoption process. The integration of local languages with digital devices creates an inclusive and relevant learning environment for rural communities. The results show that a holistic and contextual approach to strengthening language literacy and digitalization can empower communities in a sustainable manner, strengthen local capacity, and encourage digital transformation at the grassroots level. These findings make an important contribution to the development of technology-based community empowerment strategies and local culture in the digital era.