Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States

Sara Beaudrie and Marta Fairclough have pulled together the leaders in the field of Spanish as a heritage language in the areas of research and instructional practice to address the questions that those of us who work in the field have been asking for many years. This compilation moves us a huge leap forward in: understanding the place of Spanish in the United States, features of the Spanish of heritage Spanish speakers, instructional approaches and assessments for working with this population, and future directions in practice and research. We have been waiting for a book like this for a long time. It is a must-read for all of us who care about Spanish as a heritage language in the United States. -- Joy Kreeft Peyton, Alliance for the Advancement of Heritage Languages, Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States: The State of the Field takes a systematic approach to the theoretical and pedagogical aspect of Heritage Language instruction. In thirteen essays, the volume's contributors identify primary areas of interest related to SHL in the United States. Then, they balance their observations of the past and the present state of affairs of the field with suggestions for practical applications in the classroom and beyond. -- Jose Esteban Hernandez, associate professor of Hispanic linguistics, University of Texas Pan American (UTPA)

Suitable for teachers while proposing future directions for scholarship, this title offers an overview of research on Spanish as a heritage language in the United States. It addresses the central role of education within the field.There is growing interest in heritage language learners - individuals who have a personal or familial connection to a nonmajority language. Spanish learners represent the largest segment of this population in the United States. In this comprehensive volume, experts offer an interdisciplinary overview of research on Spanish as a heritage language in the United States. They also address the central role of education within the field. Contributors offer a wealth of resources for teachers while proposing future directions for scholarship.