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The heritage Spanish language program focuses on the development of multilingual and multicultural literacies through the appreciation and use of the heritage language and on the development of four major types of competencies: Linguistic, communicative, cultural, and metalinguistic. This tailored instruction for Spanish heritage speakers can be effective in preparing them to tackle different work fields.

Heritage speakers have the amazing advantage of being able to navigate among different languages and cultures, and the HSP wants to provide them with the opportunity to embrace these qualities, improve their language skills, and learn from one another.

Students who have grown up speaking both Spanish and English often have linguistic, cognitive and cultural advantages over monolingual speakers of either language, and they may be better prepared to face the challenges of a multilingual and multicultural world. (Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C.)

Heritage speakers may also find it valuable to learn about other varieties of Spanish. The Spanish speaking world is very large and there are some differences that exist from region to region.

Exploring language differences through assorted media and through classroom interaction is an opportunity to learn from other people’s perspectives. Inclusive learning environments create students that are comfortable with differences and better prepared at confronting challenging issues.

The HSP consists of a sequence of courses that address the specific needs of heritage Spanish language students here at AU. Its objective is to empower students like you to make deliberate use of your existing linguistic resources, and methodically exploit all the developmental advantages they offer. The HSP also provides a curricular and culturally enriched space where students can concurrently share their experience as insiders with students of similar backgrounds. Simply put, this program is about cultural enrichment and empowerment through language experience. Heritage Spanish courses…

• Include a broad range of contexts in which to use Spanish, including academic and professional contexts.
• Meet each student at their proficiency level to further develop their language skills for academic and professional purposes.
• Develop awareness of additional discourse styles and registers that are present in students’ rich backgrounds and experiences.
• Strengthen formal grammar and vocabulary knowledge as well as reading, writing, and speaking skills for academic and professional settings.
• Function as intellectual spaces that promote student sharing and appreciation of their cultural and linguistic experiences and aptitudes.

• Span 321: Heritage Spanish I
• Span 322: Heritage Spanish II
• Span 331: Heritage Spanish III - Writing Across Our Cultures

What do I do from here? If you are interested in learning more about this program, or to register in one of our courses, follow this 3-step plan:

Paso 1: What is my first step?

Contact our WLC advisor at wlcprogramadvisor@american.edu so you can see if taking an HSP course is a good fit for your academic goals. Also, check the schedule for the semester to see which course(s) are offered, and when.

Paso 2: Who do I contact to talk about a specific course in the HSP?

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Paso 3: How do I get placement?

Contact CLEAR at clear@american.edu Subject line: HSP Placement so you can take a placement test to make sure that you join an HSP offering that is right for you.