Rationale for Artifact 2.2
Standard 2: Learner Differences
The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and
communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet
high standards.
Artifact: Studies Concerning Heritage and Foreign Language Learners: Taken
from a Final Project Completed for SPA 641
For this artifact, I have chosen to focus on knowledge that I have gained during
the MATL program in relation to the needs and pedagogical issues surrounding a learner
diversity related topic that has gained considerable attention in the field of language
education; the topic of heritage language learners. As speakers of languages other than
the dominant language of the society in which they live and are educated, Heritage
language speakers face challenges and have specific needs, which often go unconsidered
or unattended to (Beaudrie 2011, Beaudrie 2012). Many heritage learners of Spanish find
themselves in an awkward position as the only formal instruction they can find in their
Spanish comes in the form of courses designed for English speaking monolingual
learners of Spanish as a foreign language; courses which often fail to address the needs of
HL learners (Beaudrie 2011, Carreira 2004). These Spanish FL courses, having a focus
on spoken communication, often hold little relevance for many heritage speakers who
already possess fairly high levels of aural comprehension and speaking abilities (Valdés,
Lozano, and Garcia-Moya 1981, Campbell 1996, Montrul 2010, Beaudrie 2011).
Meanwhile, placement in intermediate or higher level FL courses, in which students
possess higher oral communication skills can be frustrating due to the use of technical
grammar terms and metalanguage with which the heritage speakers has no acquaintance
(Valdés, Lozano, and Garcia-Moya 1981, Beaudrie & Fairclough 2012). As a group,
learners also vary greatly as a group, in relation to different degrees of ability with the
language (Mrak 2011, Carreira 2004, 2012). Thus, even in the case of institutions that
have created a specialized course or two for this type of learner, the students placed in the
course could still represent a wide range of ability levels and present a level of
proficiency related need for differentiation that is much higher than that of FL courses
(Carreira 2012). Anxiety can also be an issue for both HL and Fl students when HLs are
present in FL courses. While the heritage learner may experience a range of emotions
concerning the perceived expectations of their language abilities as they are expected to
be experts or native speakers (Potowski 2002), the FL students may feel anxious in their
attempts to speak with and around the HLs due the differential between their oral
communicative competencies and phonetic grasps of the language (Beaudrie 2011). Due
to a variety of factors, leading researchers in the field of HLA have worked to raise
awareness to the high need for differentiation in regard to these students and have called
for heritage language specific curriculum and programing in order to provide for the
specialized needs of these learners (Colombi & Alarcón 1997, Potowski 2002, Valdés,
Fishman, Chávez, Pérez 2006, Roca & Colombi 2003; Valdés 2000, Valdés 2005,
Beaudrie & Ducar 2005, Carreira 2012).
In order to represent my growing understanding of how differences in
background, language and culture can find their way into the classroom as well as my
willingness to look for ways to provide for learners who present difference, I have
included the following in Artifact 2.2: a portion of a paper, which I wrote for a SPA 641
course that presents some of my research that I have conducted concerning the HL/FL
situation and why HLs need specific differentiation in relation to their language learning
experience, a list of literature resources that deal with heritage language pedagogy and
practice, and a compilation of literature reviews that I conducted during my 692 research
course. These portions of work represent my ongoing efforts to better understand the
needs of SHLs and how to provide challenging instruction for them through both HL
specific programs and inclusionary efforts within mixed classes. During my career as a
language educator, I hope to work toward providing for the specific needs of heritage
learners by raising awareness of their unique situation, helping to design relevant
coursework and curriculum for HLs, and developing opportunities for HL specific
classes. I also hope to work toward providing for and including HLs in FL courses in
ways that are beneficial to both the HL students and the FL students when a mixed
situation is unavoidable. In doing this, I hope to help foster fruitful learning
environments and experiences that enable each type of learner to meet high standards and
to reach their goals.
References
Beaudrie, S. &, Ducar, C. (2005). Beginning level university heritage programs: Creating
space for all heritage language learners. Heritage Language Journal, 3, 1, pp. 126.
Beaudrie, S. M. (2011). Spanish heritage language programs: A snapshot of current
programs in the southwestern United States. Foreign Language Annals, 44(2),
pp.321-337. DOI: 10.1111/j.1944-9720.2011.01137.x
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.lynx.lib.usm.edu/doi/10.1111/j.19449720.2011.01137.x/abstract;jsessionid=91E19B430E1E899B584D1B24E0CCA2
A5.f04t01
Beaudrie, S.M. (2012). Research on university-based Spanish heritage language
programs in the United States: The current state of affairs. In S. M. Beaudrie &
M. Fairclough (Eds). Spanish as a heritage language in the United States: The
state of the field (pp. 203-212). (Georgetown Studies in Spanish Linguistics
series). Georgetown University Press. Kindle Edition.
Campbell, R. (1996). New learners and new challenges. In R. Lafayette (Ed.), National
standards: A catalyst for reform (pp. 97, 117). Lincolnwood, IL: National
Textbook.
Carreira, M. (2004). Seeking explanatory adequacy: A dual approach to understanding
the term “heritage language learner”. Heritage Language Journal, 2, 1.
Carreira, M. (2012). Formative assessment in HL teaching: Purposes, procedures, and
practices. Heritage Language Journal, 9, 1, pp. 100-120.
Colombi, M. C. &, Alarcón, F. X. (Eds.). (1997). La enseñanza del español a
hispanohablantes: Praxis y teoría. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Montrul, S. (2010). Dominant language transfer in adult second language learners and
heritage speakers. Second Language Research, 26, 3, 293-327.
Mrak, N. A. (2011). Heritage speakers and the standard: Fighting linguistic hegemony. In
L. A. Ortiz-López (Ed.) Selected Proceedings of the 13th Hispanic Linguistics
Symposium. pp. 161-168. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
Retrieved from http://www.lingref.com/cpp/hls/13/paper2484.pdf
Potowski, K. (2002). Experiences of Spanish heritage speakers in university foreign
language courses and implications for teacher training. ADFL Bulletin, 33, 3, pp.
35-42.
Valde´ s, G., Lozano, A., & Garcı´a-Moya, R. (Eds.). (1981). Teaching Spanish to the
Hispanic bilingual: Issues, aims, and methods. New York: Teachers College
Press.
Valde´s, G. (2000). Introduction. In AATSP Professional Development Series Handbook
for Teachers K-16: Vol 1. Spanish for native speakers (pp. 1–20). New York:
Harcourt College.
Valdés, G. (2001). Heritage language students: Profiles and possibilities. In J. K. Peyton,
D. A. Ranard, S. McGinnis (Eds.) Heritage languages in America: Preserving a
national resource. Language in Education: Theory and Practice (pp. 37-47).
ERIC Publications.
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED458809.pdf#page=50&zoom=auto,-79,517
Valdés, G. (2005). Bilingualism, heritage language learners, and SLA research:
Opportunities lost or seized? Modern Language Journal, 89, 3, 410-426.
Valdés, G., Fishman, J., Chávez, R., & Pérez, W. (Eds.). (2006). Developing minority
language resources: The case of Spanish in California. Clevedon, UK:
Multilingual Matters.