Heritage Speakers Panel
HERITAGE SPEAKERS:
A UNIQUE CHALLENGE FOR INSTRUCTORS
SESSION OVERVIEW/PANEL DISCUSSION
Goals of Heritage Speaker course
 Present different scenarios and strategies that
are being applied to meet these goals.
 Identify three to five core foundations that a
Heritage Speaker program should be built on
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HERITAGE SPEAKERS
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The increase of Heritage speakers (primarily Spanish)
in both large and mid-size metropolitan areas
Diversity of backgrounds
The Heritage Speakers of today are by no means the
same as 15, 10, or even 5 years ago.
HERITAGE SPEAKER GROWTH
Hispanics, accounted for over 25 percent of
population growth in non-metro areas during
the 1990s.
 The Hispanic population in rural and small-town
America has doubled from 1.5 to 3.2 million
and is now the most rapidly growing segment of
non-metro county residents.

HERITAGE SPEAKER GROWTH

Non-metro Hispanic population more than
doubled in 20 mostly Southern and Midwestern
States, with growth rates as high as 416
percent.
*2000 Census
HERITAGE SPEAKER PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed:
specifically for heritage speakers of Spanish with oral
proficiency but little or no formal training in the
language.
 for learners who were raised in homes or brought up in
a community where Spanish was spoken.
 to build on the formal aspect of the language that
students already possess.
 to further develop reading and writing skills, although
all of four language skills (listening, speaking, reading,
and writing) are emphasized via cultural and
community activities.
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GOALS OF HERITAGE SPEAKER COURSE
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Development of lexicon
Further develop listening, reading, and writing skills
Students will communicate fluently
Inspire a sense of pride in their heritage/identity
HERITAGE SPEAKERS WOULD SAY…
"I have not studied Spanish formally. I grew up
hearing Spanish (home or community). I don't
know how to speak it, though."
 "Several of my family members are Spanishspeaking. I want to learn to read and write in
Spanish."
 "I am a U.S. Latino/Latina and I want to improve
my speaking, reading and writing skills in Spanish.
I also want to learn more about my culture."
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HERITAGE SPEAKER PANEL
Representation of Higher Ed Programs with
large Heritage Speaker student populations
 California, Florida, and Texas
 2-year and 4-year colleges
 Interactive session

Douglas Duno
HERITAGE SPEAKER PROGRAM
CHAFFEY COLLEGE
COURSES
Spanish 1 SS and Spanish 2 SS (1st year)
 Composition Class
 Hispanic Literature 1800 – Present (Survey)
 Mexican Literature in Translation
 Latin American Literature in Translation

STUDENTS BACKGROUND
Regular American Kids
 18-25 years old
 Watch Desperate House Wives, Lost, and “los
culebrones de las telenovelas”
 Glued to the Iphone
 Short Attention Span
 Communicate mainly in English

STUDENTS BACKGROUND
Technologically savvy
 Academically underprepared
 First in family to attend college

CHALLENGES THAT AFFECT OUR HERITAGE PROGRAM
Lack of physical space to offer more Heritage
speakers classes (we have to compete with
regular language classes)
 Well trained teachers specially in the target
subject.
 Interactive and pertinent software or a system
like Blackboard, webct

CHALLENGES THAT AFFECT OUR HERITAGE PROGRAM
A true Heritage speaker friendly textbook.
 Changing the lexicon they have used all their
life.
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WHAT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN OUR PROGRAM?
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The number of students with a C o better has
improved in the last two years.
The number os sections offered has increased as well
The creation of new different classes (composition)
because the increase of Heritage Speaker Population
The collaboration with the Language Resource Center
(Lab) which has become an extension of the course.
Students are required to complete Directed Learning
Activities (complement the material taught in the
classroom
WHAT ELSE NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO MAKE THIS THE
IDEAL PROGRAM?
Create non-transferable basic foundation
classes before allowing students to enroll in the
transferable courses. (English/math)
 Establish a relation with public four year
institutions to allow students to continue the
study of the language without interruptions.

HERITAGE SPEAKERS COURSES
Yolanda Gonzalez, Valencia Community College
Dina Fabery, University of Central Florida
HISPANIC POPULATION IN FLORIDA
 State
of Florida : Census Bureau 2000
 Hispanic
o Latino: 16.8%
Mexican:
2.3%
Puerto Rican: 3.0%
Cuban: 5.2%
Others: 6.3%
STUDENT PROFILE VALENCIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE (VCC)
AND
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA (UCF)

Valencia Community College
 Hispanics

– 20.7 %
University of Central Florida
 Hispanics
– 14.8 %
UNIQUE NEEDS OF VCC/UCF STUDENTS
An increase of Heritage Speakers students
enrolling in introductory and intermediate
courses.
 Need for Heritage Speakers to fulfill a Foreign
Language Requirement
 Interest in pursuing a minor or major in their
Heritage Language
 Majority of our heritage students come from
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba.

COLLABORATION
Students enroll in at VCC to complete their
introductory courses.
 Students from VCC have guaranteed
acceptance at UCF once they complete their
AA. For that reason, many students from
VCC transfer to UCF.
 Students at VCC are required to fulfill a
foreign language requirement with an
introductory language course.

BENEFITS
The FL curriculum are the same at both
schools.
 Transition is easier for students who fulfilled
their language requirement at VCC.
 Learning objectives are designed in
collaboration for students to achieve the
level of proficiency gradually
 The first year courses are offered at the
community college so students can use the
course to fulfill their requirement.

HERITAGE SPEAKER PANEL
WORLD LANGUAGES EXPERIENCE
Aymara Boggiano
University of Houston
THE
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HERITAGE LANGUAGE PROGRAM
Spanish 1505: Intensive Elementary Spanish
Spanish 2307: Spanish for Hispanic Heritage Learners I
Spanish 2308: Spanish for Hispanic Heritage Learners II
Spanish 3307: Public Speaking in Spanish
Spanish 3308: Written Communication for Hispanic Heritage
Learners
Why the three levels?
Benefits and Challenges
STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

Two Placement Tests
 30-
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38% Classified as Heritage
Data from Placement tests:
 In
1505 ¼ are HL
 20% to 1505
 60% to Intermediate
 15% to 3000 level
 5% to 4000 level
GOALS AND CHALLENGES AT
A. Separate true beginners from High Beginners
Separate L2 students from HL
 Make smooth transition until they are again united
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B. Convince administration of the need
Majority of students are Latino/a
 Students did not feel comfortable in L2 classes
 Get approval for 1505
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C. Create 2307/2308
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Make Heritage Track attractive to reluctant HL
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
 Make
Placement test as Credit by exam
 Get through Lang. requirement in less time
 Attend to the needs of the two groups
separately
 Consider the affective component
 Raise their confidence in their ability to use the
language
 Address cultural, linguistic and affective needs
COURSE MATERIALS
Books w/ on-line component
 Puentes 5th ed.
 Conozcámonos + Civilizacion y Cultura or
Literatura y Arte
 Hablar Bien Instituto Cervantes
 Por Escrito
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TRAINING
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Spanish language teacher education programs
prepare teachers to teach Spanish as FL or SL not HL
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What is missing?
Instructor ‘s sensitivity to cultural and affective needs of
HL student
 Recognize and value dialects
 Recognize distinct needs and differences between HL & L2
 Recognize and create activities that build on their
knowledge of the language and can improve HL
competence
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WHERE DO WE BEGIN?

List top 3 -5 core building blocks for developing
a heritage speaker program.
QUESTIONS…