Heritage language speakers and upper-division language instruction: Findings from a Spanish linguistic program

Abstract

Teaching upper-division courses in Spanish linguistics presents a two-pronged dilemma: students entering the courses (1) have had little literacy education in the target language in general and (2) have had little or no familiarity with the science of linguistics in particular In confronting this situation, the article describes how one collegiate program was able to use to advantage the particular knowledge bases, linguistic and otherwise, that heritage speakers of Spanish can bring to upper division courses in Spanish lin-guistics. It examines the theoretical underpinnings of heritage language pedagogy, explores applications to the teaching of heritage students in upperdivision courses, describes the program design of a linguistics program that explicitly draws on heritage students' abilities, and highlights some consequences of the chosen program design. The article also discusses the concept of literacy, particularly how writing in Spanish plays a role in students' ability to develop a critical approach to studying Spanish linguistics.