Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers

Catalog description

This course is designed for heritage speakers who can read, write and speak Spanish at the intermediate level. A heritage learner is someone raised in a family where a minority language is spoken, who has a cultural connection with the language, and who is bilingual to some degree in the minority language. Many heritage speaker's dominant language is English, but grew up speaking Spanish or were exposed to Spanish and/or Hispanic culture during their childhood. Because they acquired the heritage language in a natural context, usually within the home environment, heritage speakers tend to be more familiar with the colloquial variety of the language than with formal registers, which are normally learned in academic settings. This class will help students who identify as Spanish heritage speakers effectively build on the language skills they already have, and learn how to use their Spanish within professional and academic contexts. The course will focus on various topics such as grammar, spelling, phonetics, metalinguistic awareness, along with understanding and reflecting on the differing uses of the Spanish language and the varied cultures of the Caribbean, Central America, Spain, South America and the United States. This class will also focus on heritage speaker identity and bicultural issues Prereq: SPAN 101 or SPAN 102 .