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The heritage speaker of Spanish has valuable language skills on which to build a formal command of the language. He or she often has grown up listening to family members speak Spanish, and may or may not have experience responding verbally in the language. Often, heritage speakers feel they need to learn the grammar and formal writing skills to be more effective in Spanish. Because they have some verbal skills, heritage speakers do not fit into the regular Spanish classes designed for second language learners. Heritage speakers have advantages that allow them to progress faster and to work more readily on more sophisticated texts.

Our program has designed a curriculum targeting specific aspects of the Spanish language that pose challenges to the heritage speaker. The heritage speaker classes focus on teaching students who have a good ear for Spanish due to family interactions, the nuances of formal, written language. The sequence of heritage classes provide students with a comprehensive exposure to Spanish grammar and writing skills as well as content focused on Spanish and Latin American cultures and US Latino culture.

Course sequence:

SPN 2232        Spanish for Heritage Speakers I
Recommended for heritage students who have limited experience with the formal aspects of the language. SPN 2232 satisfies the university language requirement.

SPN 3343        Spanish for Heritage Speakers II
Recommended for heritage students continuing to higher levels of the curriculum or who wish to improve their formal expression in the language, but who have some formal experience in primary or secondary education in Spanish-speaking countries. SPN 2232 is pre-requisite or the course may be taken with permission of the professor or Head of Spanish.
 
Spanish major or minor courses in literature, linguistics, and culture.