El aumento en los cursos especializados de español de lengua heredada (LH) en los Estados Unidos (Beaudrie y Marreo-Rivera, 2024) continúa destacando la necesidad de más estudios empíricos y creación de materiales para satisfacer las necesidades y objetivos de la instrucción de los estudiantes de LH. El presente estudio investiga los efectos de la enseñanza de gramática a través de lecciones deductivas e inductivas del pretérito e imperfecto en español. Se investigan los efectos del tipo de instrucción y la modalidad (en persona o en línea) en la precisión gramatical de los alumnos en actividades controladas. El estudio incluye 3 secciones de clases intactas de español de nivel intermedio para bilingües. Se tomó en cuenta la variedad local y de bilingües para la creación de materiales y corrección de tareas utilizando un corpus del español de Arizona. Los datos de las pre y post pruebas se recolectaron a través de actividades controladas y actividades de producción escrita y oral. Todos los grupos se beneficiaron de las lecciones gramaticales, aunque los resultados no demostraron una ventaja significativa para un método, solo el tratamiento deductivo obtuvo resultados significativos en tareas específicas y retuvo ganancias significativas de pre-prueba a prueba tardía. En general, se observó un uso más balanceado del pretérito y el imperfecto de todos los grupos en la prueba de narración oral que la escrita. Esta tesis provee un modelo sobre las posibilidades de la enseñanza gramatical en la clase de LH no solo metodológicamente (el uso de instrucción gramatical deductiva e inductiva en dos modalidades) sino en la práctica y el uso de materiales auténticos representativos de la variedad dialectal de los estudiantes y sus comunidades. A pesar de la atrición de participantes, las ganancias significativas de pre-prueba a post prueba muestran las oportunidades para la variación de métodos y actividades para la clase de LH.

As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, Spanish teachers are increasingly responsible for incorporating heritage language (HL) research and practice into their curriculum design. However, many language teacher preparation programs in the country are not tailored to equip future HL educators, focusing instead on second language acquisition with limited offerings in HL pedagogy. This study conducts a needs analysis assessment by using survey data from 51 in-service teachers and conducting interviews with a subset of these teachers. Employing mixed-methods analysis, the data were examined through descriptive statistics and a grounded theory approach, framed within Latinx Critical Race Theory. Data analysis of survey responses reveals a significant gap in HL pedagogy training, with teachers having minimal formal preparation and encountering several challenges such as developing their SHL students’ literacy skills and addressing varying levels of proficiency, among others. In tandem with these findings, analysis of interview data highlights teachers’ lack of confidence in addressing the needs of SHL students, insufficient support from their school districts in financing ongoing education to address SHL student needs, and the detrimental effects of negative attitudes towards SHL learners’ varieties, among others. These challenges are attributed to both insufficient teacher training and systemic issues within educational systems, which often neglect the needs of Latinx students. Thus, teachers advocate for the integration of HL-focused training in teacher preparation programs to address these challenges. Additionally, pedagogical implications are discussed considering the most pertinent findings from this research. The results of this study yield significant implications for the fields of language teacher development and HL education, emphasizing the pressing need for comprehensive HL pedagogy training to better support the diverse needs of SHL students. By addressing these challenges and providing targeted professional development, educators can enhance the educational experiences and success of HL students.

The field of Heritage Language has experienced a great deal of advancement in the past few decades. Much research effort has been dedicated to analyzing and understanding different aspects of heritage language speakers, but less work has been done in the topic of pedagogical approaches. The few recent studies on pedagogical approaches have focused on the “how” of instruction of grammatical points in the heritage language classroom but dedicated less research efforts to an overall and comprehensive approach to classroom teaching and learning at the higher education level. Heritage language learners require teaching methodologies that differ from those used with second language students given their unique characteristics and needs. Having a curriculum and class materials that align to the needs of the students is essential in aiding the development and maintenance of the heritage language of the students. This study explores whether the implementation of a Project-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum can result in measurable gains in the development of written and oral skills in intermediate Spanish heritage language students, when compared to a control group that follows a traditional non-project-based methodology. Fluency, complexity, and accuracy in the written and oral samples were analyzed through a variety of indicators. The data collection consisted of a pre, and post writing and oral sample obtained at the beginning and end of the semester. The results showed that the students in the PBL curriculum achieved greater gains in their written skills when compared to the control group but had no effect on oral skills. The PBL group made significant gains in written fluency and complexity, and moderate gains in accuracy. The control group showed moderate gains in written fluency and complexity, and no improvement in accuracy. Neither group achieved statistically significant gains in oral fluency, complexity, or accuracy after one semester of instruction. The results offer implications for the impact that a PBL curriculum can have on heritage language learner’s linguistic development.

This study examined and compared language ideologies and attitudes among dual language program (Spanish-English) graduates regarding their use of Spanish and perceptions of their bilingual education experience through surveys and semi-structured interviews. Drawing from the theory of ideology, data was analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Surveys were divided into two sections and contained 30 Likert-style items related to participants’ attitudes regarding Spanish, English, bilingualism and their experiences in the dual language program. Interviews, which were 40-60 minutes in length, were coded in two cycles based on general themes related to dual language graduates’ experiences in the dual language program and language attitudes and ideologies. Patterns among codes were identified, analyzed and compared with quantitative findings to create major themes. Findings reveal that graduates generally consider themselves bilingual and had both positive and negative experiences in the program. Additionally, dual language graduates exhibit conflicting attitudes and ideologies regarding monolingualism, standardization and the value of bilingualism. Finally, results indicate a difference in the experiences of the Latinx and non-Latinx students, which have implications regarding the equity of the dual language program. Findings from this study give insight into the experiences of dual language graduates, an area that has received little attention, and provides insight into the issues regarding educational and attitudinal outcomes in bilingual contexts, specifically in dual language programs. Pedagogical implications are discussed as related to the most salient themes identified in this research.

This qualitative study explores the perspectives of six Indigenous learners and two instructors to analyze and reconceptualize pedagogical practices in the Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) classroom. Although there have been numerous proposals and perspectives that have successfully incorporated the sociopolitical realities of SHL learners, there is progress to be made to better understand the multifaceted identities of learners and instructors in the Latinx community. Thus, the perspectives of Indigenous learners and pedagogues are necessary to not only acknowledge but to meet the needs of a part of the Latinx community that is often erased by centering mestizaje. Thus, the present study utilizes Critical Latinx Indigeneities (CLI) as a framework to uncover salient themes in the individual testimonios, sharing circles, and written reflections of these eight Indigenous instructors and learners that have taken and/or taught an SHL course. The findings in this study indicated eight prominent themes: 1) dynamic identity development and identity negotiation, 2) connections between language and identity, 3) impacts of anti-Indigenous discrimination among Latinx people, 4) maneuvering language and identity in K-12 education, 5) implications of teachers’ positionalities and practices, 6) discrepancies on knowledge and holders of knowledge, 7) inclusion of indigeneity in SHL courses, and 8) tensions between taking/teaching SHL courses and being Indigenous. Additionally, pedagogical suggestions and reflections are offered alongside a discussion on the concept of allyship. By foregrounding Indigenous Latinxs, I argue that decolonial theory and praxis, based on Indigenous ways of being and knowing, can lead to crucial advancements in SHL Education. By extending the theoretical boundaries of critical pedagogies in SHL Education, we can begin to dismantle deficit- based orientations to researching and teaching SHL learners with dynamic and racially diverse identities. This study has the potential to make an invaluable contribution by disrupting ongoing settler colonial logics that persist in language education by offering pedagogical considerations from Indigenous instructors and learners that would result in an increasingly inclusive Spanish classroom in which Latinxs of varied backgrounds can thrive.

As critical approaches to Heritage Language (HL) instruction are increasingly more widespread, it is now more pertinent than ever to conduct research on Spanish linguistic variation that reveals systematicity and refutes hegemonic notions of ‘incorrectness’. This variationist study examines the use and distribution of the Preterite and Imperfect past tenses in Spanish. The study analyzes 30 bilingual English Spanish speakers who reside in southern and central Arizona by using sociolinguistic interviews from two Arizona corpora. The data provided by these interviews was analyzed using the Rbrul and Rstudio software. The linguistic factors analyzed were aspectual interpretation, clause type, grammatical person and number, verb lemma and verb frequency. By the same token, the extralinguistic factors analyzed were generation, language dominance, age and sex. The findings in this study reveal distribution of the Preterite and Imperfect in the data revealed that both forms were used at nearly equal rates with the Preterite (53.7%) being used slightly more than the Imperfect (46.3%). The results of the quantitative analysis revealed that in order of magnitude, aspectual function, generation, and frequency of the verb were the predictors that favored the Preterite and the Imperfect. While the majority of Preterite and Imperfect uses adhered to the canonical uses of these forms, an interaction between generation and aspectual function showed significance when the Preterite is used with a habitual aspectual function by both the second and third generation. These results show that the Preterite and Imperfect carry a degree of variation that goes beyond the traditional understandings of these forms. Lastly, the results of this study emphasize the need for additional research that aids in the understanding of the characteristics of US Spanish to dispel misconceptions about the Spanish spoken in the U.S by all, especially HL speakers. It is only by understanding the evolution of the Spanish in the US that researchers and instructors can contribute to a critical language awareness in HL instruction that revindicates their ways of speaking.

The U.S Census Bureau (2018)’s report calculated that from the total Latinx population, 11.6 % of this community has a Bachelor of Arts. The report also estimated that less than half of the Latinx students who begin pursuing higher education would eventually earn their degrees. Given the Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) field’s fast-paced growth, Carreira (2007) argued for the field to get involved in reducing the Latino Achievement Gap since this gap has severe consequences in students’ lives. The objective of the current study is to analyze 1. What types of capital do SHL students bring to the upper-division university course? 2. How do the types of capital that SHL students bring to the upper division university course shaped by the end of the course? And 3. How do SHL students understand the knowledge they bring to the course and 3.1. How do they see the course having shaped their knowledge by the end of the semester? The data collected via semi-structured interviews and student reflective journals were coded using thematic analysis (Seidman, 2013) and Yosso’s (2005; 2013) six types of capital. The findings show that the course helped students gain linguistic confidence, reinforcing their linguistic capital. Also, students developed their Critical Language Awareness, which strengthens their resistant and aspirational capital. Students also mentioned that the assignments and discussions validated their sense of belonging at ASU increasing their navigational capital. This data reflects how the SHL classroom leads students to strengthen their linguistic capital and gives them the tools to reinforce their familial, navigational, resistant, and aspirational capital. These findings point out the different ways SHL courses support students along their academic journey and provide insights into how SHL educators could contribute to narrow the Latino Achievement Gap.

Technology (i.e. the WhatsApp mobile application) can play a positive role in a student’s language and culture learning when it is used in collaboration with a language curriculum that uses a modular framework. When technology tools are used in an intensive language learning environment, those mobile devices will allow students certain affordances (like modifying, authoring, and reviewing content) as well as opportunities to work independently (e.g., create their own content to demonstrate cultural understanding) and/or to reflect upon cross-cultural issues that impact their intercultural sensitivity (Lee, 2011). Barker (2016) adds that cultural discussions performed during a student’s language learning process can lead to intercultural sensitivity development and learning if done communicatively and in engaging environments. In this study, participants intensely interacted in a three week immersion experience where they used WhatsApp to communicate with each other, with their instructors, and with their host families by completing tasks in three modules that were a part of an Advanced Spanish Conversation and Culture Course.

The argument in this study is that if WhatsApp is well integrated into the course activities and curriculum of an upper level Spanish university course while abroad, the students will use more innovative ways to communicate, thus, allowing for more intercultural sensitivity growth. In this study, the author analyzed the intercultural sensitivity development and Spanish language use of twelve university level students as they learned Spanish in a 13 week study abroad program abroad in Segovia, Spain. The goal of the study was to gauge how effectively the students communicated with one another while simultaneously measuring their intercultural sensitivity growth to see if the integration of the mobile app, WhatsApp, had any effect on their intercultural learning capabilities. The author analyzed data from twelve learners’ interactions while they studied abroad in a country that they were mostly unfamiliar with. As a result of WhatsApp’s various modalities and capabilities, the findings showed that all of the 12 students showed modest intercultural sensitivity growth along the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (Bennett, 1993) to assist them in more effectively communicating in the target language about the host culture.

The present study aims to gain deeper insights into language attitudes in the educational context while contributing to the emerging field of advanced mixed, second language and heritage language (HL) courses. Considering that the majority of heritage language learners (HLLs) and second language learners (L2s) in the United States (US) are enrolled in mixed classrooms (Beaudrie, 2012; Carreira, 2016a, 2016b), the study of language attitudes regarding monolingual varieties, bilingual varieties, and L2 varieties is crucial to inform pedagogical best practices that serve both types of learners. Additionally, by analyzing the language attitudes of both types of students toward these three Spanish language varieties, this study demonstrates the importance of incorporating linguistic variation into the classroom to address the linguistic hierarchies that exist in such a context. Thus, the results are relevant to the fields of sociolinguistics, L2 and HL pedagogy.

The study employs matched-guise tasks at two points during the semester, as well as end-term semi-structured interviews. As different linguistic components of a language trigger different attitudes, the findings show that native-like phonetic and phonological features of Spanish speakers afford positive attitudes, as do a formal lexicon and academic register. However, morphosyntactic features do not have any effect on forming an individual’s language attitudes.

To illustrate, the results of the matched-guise tasks show that native and HL varieties were generally evaluated positively, while L2 varieties were evaluated negatively. Interviews revealed native-like accent and pronunciation as the detrimental cause of negative attitudes toward the L2 variety. In contrast to the phonetic/phonological evaluations made by participants, both HLLs and L2s did agree that L2s speak a “proper” and “professional” Spanish. Furthermore, heritage Spanish was described as the “least formal” and “incorrect” Spanish variety in comparison to the L2 variety due to dominant stereotypes and ideologies and the incorporation of lexical characteristics of US Spanish.

Based on these findings, this study has the potential to make an invaluable contribution to understanding how language attitudes and instructional practices in the classroom context intersect with a social justice movement to improve mixed courses in a social, critical, and conscious way.

Spanish is a pluricentric language spoken within the linguistic continuum with high variation. The understanding of the attitudes towards such variation with regard to its geography (diatopic variation) is key to capacitate its students and speakers as a foreign language to successfully communicate in changing and emerging transnational contexts. The research of linguistic attitudes is a topic that has traditionally been approached in Western contexts, with scholars requiring alternative research environments to provide a richer picture of this construct. China, given its steady growth in the number of Spanish as a foreign language students and its current role in the global, transnational arena, becomes a research environment where the study of linguistic attitudes gain even more relevance. Based on this reality, this study seeks to unveil the attitudes towards diatopic variation and towards the five most widely spoken diatopic varieties of Spanish (i.e., Mexico, Argentina, the United States, Spain, and Colombia) in Chinese students of initial level (n = 95) and their professors (n = 16). In doing so, this study collected data through (1) empirically validated questionnaires on attitudes towards diatopic variation, (2) perceptual dialectology tasks and (3) interviews.

The main findings of this research showed the presence of positive attitudes towards diatopic variation by students and teachers. Such attitudes can be explained in light of their previous sociolinguistic knowledge and their previous experience as learners of a second pluricentric language. Regarding the attitudes toward the most spoken varieties, this study showed that the variety associated with Spain was the best known by the observed students and teachers, and received the categorization of prestige variety by students. Teachers did not show affective or status assessments toward any of the diatopic varieties. Further analysis of these results, based on ethnolinguistic vitality , and the levels of familiarity of students/teachers with each variety, suggests that teaching expansive proposals from initial levels can provide a more inclusive view of the diatopic variation of the Spanish language in class.