Spanish for Heritage Speakers
SPA 1304, 2304, & 3304
Are you a Heritage Speaker?
DID YOU... -learn Spanish as a child? -grow up listening and speaking Spanish at home?
DO YOU HAVE... -a cultural connection to Spanish? -most of your formal education in English? -no formal to some formal education in Spanish?
Heritage Speakers of Spanish can present different levels of language skills: From highly proficient to a basic competency in the language Understand the language, speak comfortably, and can easily read and write it, or... Have some difficulty while speaking, can read it some, but perhaps haven't had any formal writing education or... Have the most difficulty while speaking, but can understand clearly, and can read with some difficulty. In addition, have no writing skills.
U N D E R S T A N D I N G T H E D I F F E R E N C E S
Second language courses are designed to teach language structures to build a new language skill. Students have none to very little knowledge of Spanish. Heritage courses maintain and develop the language skills that the students already have in Spanish. A student in a heritage Spanish course may have varying levels of competency in their speaking, reading, and writing skills.
A NATIVE SPEAKER of Spanish has grown up speaking and been fully educated in the language. For example, a person had an education up to High School in Spanish and grew up speaking it in the household. Also, Spanish is the dominant language of the community. This person has an academic background in Spanish and considers it his/her dominant language.
A HERITAGE SPEAKER of Spanish has received an education in English, which is also the dominant language of the community. At home he/she speaks Spanish and English (and possibly Spanglish). This person perhaps completed Elementary School in a Spanish speaking country. Then all the rest of their education changed to English when moving to an English speaking country. However, at home the language spoken was Spanish.
SPA 1304 Elementary Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Pre-requisite(s): Appropriate score on departmental placement exam or departmental approval.
Intended for students who have prior exposure to Spanish but have not studied the language formally. Improvement of Spanish as used in the academic and professional world and development of historical consciousness about the Hispanic presence in the USA. Practice in three communicative modes: interpersonal, presentational (speaking, writing), and interpretive (listening, reading). Progress through novice or novice mid-level proficiency levels. May be substituted for SPA 1301 and/or SPA 1302 and used in fulfillment of the FL req.
SPA 2304 Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Pre-requisite(s): Appropriate score on departmental placement exam or consent of instructor.
Designed for students who have prior exposure to Spanish but may not have studied it formally. Review of grammar, exploration of SPA-speaking cultures, and practice at intermediate level proficiency to develop speaking and writing skills for professional contexts. May be substituted for SPA 2310 and/or SPA 2320 and used in fulfillment of the FL req.
SPA 3304 Advanced Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Pre-requisite(s): SPA 2304, appropriate score on departmental placement exam, or consent of instructor
Designed for students who have prior exposure to Spanish but may not have studied it formally. Readings and discussion about Spanish-speaking communities worldwide and practice at advanced-level proficiency to develop speaking and writing skills for professional contexts. May be substituted for SPA 3302.
FOR MORE I N F O R M A T I O N
CONTACT:
Prof. Rosalie Barrera
Email: Rosalie_Barrera@baylor.edu
Dr. Leslie Harkema
Director of Spanish & Portuguese Division
Email: Leslie_Harkema@baylor.edu