2 Language, Culture, and Spanish Heritage Language Learners - Reframing Old Paradigms

Oct 15, 2026

The article examines how traditional language-program curricula frame Spanish as a “foreign” language for primarily second-language learners, often relying on a single linguistic standard and an idealized native-speaker community. Rising Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) enrollment challenges this model, requiring educators to critique underlying beliefs and classroom practices. It argues for legitimizing SHL learners’ linguistic and cultural resources, bridging classroom knowledge with community contexts, and reorienting study around SHL perspectives and needs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Teacher workforce and curricular paradigm shift

From “foreign language” to SHL legitimization

Rethinking teachers’ perspectives on SHL learners

The role of culture in curricular reform

Hidden majority cultural biases and educational inequities

View of Spanish-speaking populations and Spanish language: historical and modern

2 Language, Culture, and Spanish Heritage Language Learners: Reframing Old Paradigms Patricia MacGregor-Mendoza New Mexico State University—Las Cruces Abstract Traditionally, the curriculum guiding many language programs has centered on the teaching of a “foreign” language to an audience of primarily second language learners (e.g. del Valle, 2014). Such a philosophy has relied on the belief in the existence of a single linguistic standard and an idealized community of native speakers from other countries. The increasing enrollment of Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) learners requires educators to reconsider the efficacy of such an approach in order to better address the needs of today’s student populations. A shift in classroom practices, however, requires a critical evaluation of the ideas that underpin the system of beliefs on which a traditional curriculum was built. Only after such an assessment can educators begin to acknowledge, value, and embrace the legitimacy of the diverse U.S. Spanish-speaking population and work to bridge the knowledge of classroom to that of the communities in which SHL learners live. The present article criticizes some of the firmly held opinions that sustain outdated perspectives and impede a reorientation of a traditional Spanish language curriculum. In doing so, the article offers a path to reorienting a program of study around the perspectives and needs of Spanish Heritage Language learners. Keywords: Spanish as a Heritage Language, culture, standard language, idealized native speaker communities The 2017 Digest of Education Statistics indicates that the teacher workforce is predominantly both female (76.6%) and ethnically White (80.1%) (National Center for Education Statistics, 2018, Table 209.10) . This profile of teachers stands in stark contrast to the increasing number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners in public schools, particularly Latino students entering Spanish classrooms. The challenge lies in reorienting a curricular mindset that has often positioned the Spanish classroom around teaching second language (L2) learners a “foreign” language to one of acknowledging, accepting and legitimizing the linguistic and cultural skills brought to the classroom by Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) learners from their communities here in the U.S. Such a shift in paradigms is not easy to accomplish, but is necessary in order to not only “rupture the yoke of colonialism”(Macedo, 2019) in Spanish language education, but also to provide SHL learners with the critical connections between language, community and classroom to allow them to grow to their full linguistic, cultural and academic potential. The present paper proposes a path for educators to shed false narratives that uphold notions of 20 Dimension 2020 language and culture and instead look toward embracing new ways of envisioning their classrooms and learners. Many Spanish language teachers waiver between uncertainty, skepticism, and frustration regarding the abilities of SHL learners. They witness the SHL learners’understanding of sometimes complex structures and their knowledge of pragmatic tasks but are distressed by their apparent lack of mastery of seemingly simple grammatical principles or inability to recite the explicit rules explained in class that govern verb conjugations and spelling. Combined with SHL learners’ use of nonconventional vocabulary and intermittent switching between English and Spanish, language teachers often assume that SHL learners are in need of focused grammatical instruction in “standard” language forms and the elimination of an “uncultivated” variety of language. However, what is more in order is for teachers to re-evaluate their perspectives on culture and language and readjust the lenses with which they view SHL learners. One area that often occupies the periphery of curricular reform discussions is the notion of culture. Abstractly, we often think of culture as a

FAQs

Why does the article argue that traditional Spanish curriculum paradigms need rethinking?

Because many language programs treat Spanish as a “foreign” language for second-language learners based on a single standard and idealized native speakers, which does not align with the needs of growing Spanish Heritage Language (SHL) student populations.

What does the article propose educators do to support SHL learners effectively?

Educators should critically evaluate the beliefs underpinning traditional curricula, acknowledge and legitimize the linguistic and cultural skills SHL learners bring, and bridge classroom learning with community contexts.

How does the article describe teachers’ common reactions to SHL learners?

It notes that teachers may feel uncertainty or frustration, expecting mastery of standard grammar rules and explicit recitation, while SHL learners may show strong understanding of complex structures and pragmatic tasks but use different vocabulary and switch between English and Spanish.

Oct 15, 2026

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