How Course Level, Gender, and Ethnic Identity Labels Interact with Language Attitudes towards Spanish as a Heritage Language

The Effect of Perceptions: Instructor–Student Dynamics in the Spanish Heritage Classroom

“…Likewise, it is essential to understand the classroom from the HS' perspective and their views on the HL. While Sánchez-Muñoz (2016) partially contradicts Wilson and Martínez (2011), the findings correlate well with those of Henderson et al (2020); together, these studies strongly suggest that the intrinsic value of Spanish, i.e., its connection to family culture and Latinx identity, is the primary reason for most HS to pursue further education in the language. We touched on how curricular design, whether focused more on grammar or on content, treats heritage Spanish.…”

“…These approaches include content-based language education, genre-based pedagogy, project-based learning, and experiential learning (Carreira 2016;Parra et al 2018;Beaudrie 2020). Furthermore, it has been found that HS students enrolled in upper-level courses, courses that are typically focused on particular content rather than the acquisition of the language, hold more favorable language attitudes (Henderson et al 2020), which contributes to a more positive evaluation of such classes. Henderson et al (2020) suggest that the positive attitudes among higher course level students may be due to increased opportunities to use the language within the heritage community which lead to a stronger sense of Latinx identity and pride.…”

“…Furthermore, it has been found that HS students enrolled in upper-level courses, courses that are typically focused on particular content rather than the acquisition of the language, hold more favorable language attitudes (Henderson et al 2020), which contributes to a more positive evaluation of such classes. Henderson et al (2020) suggest that the positive attitudes among higher course level students may be due to increased opportunities to use the language within the heritage community which lead to a stronger sense of Latinx identity and pride. The authors argue that Spanish Heritage Language programs that encourage cultural interactions with the heritage community and real-world communication foster the development of positive attitudes towards the use of Spanish in the public sphere and in the classroom.…”

“…Along with course level, Wilson and Martínez (2011) and Henderson et al (2020) studied the effect of ethnic background on HS student attitudes toward several dimensions of language values. Though recognizing the influence of ethnic background in the classroom, their study only examined the students' background and did not address how the ethnic background of the instructor correlated with student attitudes towards them and the learning environment, let alone how such interactions would be modulated by course level or modality.…”

What languages do undergraduates study, and why?

“…He assumed that students who had more positive attitudes would be more attentive in class, take the work seriously, and find it more rewarding. In a study of language attitudes of heritage language students, Hudgens Henderson, Wilson, and Woods (2020) found that students enrolled in higher-level courses had attitudes that correlated with a stronger likelihood of maintenance of the heritage language than peers in lower-level courses. The higher proficiency one had in a second language, the more positive attitudes one had towards it, along with a stronger motivation to continue learning the language.…”