The class Spanish for Heritage Speakers was just added back as a course offering this year. The class allows students whose first language is Spanish, or who may speak Spanish at home, to study the language in a way that takes into account their prior experience with Spanish. Mr. Lopez, who taught the class three years ago, compared the focus of the class to that of our English Language Arts classes: it’s more focused on literacy than vocabulary and grammar. He also mentions that they try to emphasize the students’ identities in the class. “It’s always about their Hispanic Latino experience: what their traditions are, how that’s reflected in living here in the United States, how they feel connected as an American but also to their home culture…”
Students typically follow a structured path in Spanish courses, taking one level of Spanish each year alongside classmates mostly from their grade. However, this system is not always beneficial to heritage speakers who often have significantly higher proficiency in Spanish than their peers who are learning Spanish as a new language. Even so, placing heritage speakers in higher level classes is not always ideal. Mr. Lopez explains, “a freshman who is a heritage speaker probably shouldn’t be in a level five class with seniors: it’s not age-appropriate.”
The Spanish for Heritage Speakers class is not offered every year, since it depends on students and staffing. Mr. Lopez explained that every two years, the department identifies a certain number of heritage Spanish speakers so that they can create a section of the Spanish for Heritage Speakers Class. “We’d love to offer it every year, if possible, if there are enough students who need it and if we have the staff who can help teach it.” This year, the class is taught by Ms. Canavan.
To determine if there are enough students to take the class, each year, the Spanish Department reviews heritage speakers’ grades, writing, and speaking abilities, asking, “Would this student be a good fit for Heritage Speakers?” Then, they take the list to guidance and recommend the students to take the class. He recommended around twenty kids this year, and currently, thirteen students are taking it.
Many students agree that the small class size is a positive. Since there are fewer students, the teacher is able to build a closer relationship with the students and go more in depth than the typical Spanish class would. Luna Contreras, a junior who is taking the class, added that “all of the students share similar experiences, making it easy to connect.” Another student taking the class commented that the class is more challenging than typical Spanish classes because they are expected to speak only in Spanish during class.
Looking ahead, Mr. Lopez hopes to see the course offered to lower grades as well: “We’d love to do it in the middle school if we had enough numbers and enough staffing.”
Spanish for Heritage Speakers is a great opportunity for heritage speakers to build on their existing skills in a space designed specifically for them.