Goals for this Class:
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To validate and acknowledge Spanish language as it is used in the context of the US and in the context of the Midwest region.
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To describe communities in which the bilingual (and bicultural) experience is present, Spanish being one of those languages.
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To identify historical events that contributed to the formation of Latino Heritage communities in the United States.
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The recognition of Spanish as it is used in the US, also considers to discuss the basics of translanguaging: “...the full range of linguistic performances of multilingual language users for proposes that transcend the combination of structures, the alternation between systems, the transmission of information, and the representation of values, identities, and relationships” (Wei 2016: 1223), and its place in the linguistic practices of the youth and in the Latino Heritage Communities (including university campuses).
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To describe the connections between cultural products and their historical context.
To accomplish these goals the course considers:
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Meeting the professional, intellectual and affective needs of the heritage speaker of Spanish.
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Recover and/or expand the linguistic abilities the heritage speaker already possess and brings to the class.
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Exploring the students cultural background
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To foster the interaction and exchange amongst the heritage speakers as a reflection, within the classroom setting, of the concept of community with shared experiences and values.
As other programs of Spanish as a Heritage Language, this course offers a space of solidarity that exemplifies the view of Spanish in the US as a linguistic practice and tradition; connecting to students that live, study and participate in the American society. Such interaction in specific social and historical conditions should remain in correlation with the idea that the language they speak is not divorced from their reality.
In that regard, the course questions the ideal of linguistic purity, and the fallacy of the native speaker, as this paradigm ignores the fact that language varies geographically, but also varies based on identity and social context.
The native-speaker paradigm works under the assumption that there is one correct way to speak a language, and that there are “native” speakers who speak this “standard” form and second language learners who are acquiring it.
In this course, we understand that language changes and evolves and it reflects the socio-historical challenges and identity of the people who speak it.
It is our goal to accept, validate and welcome this cultural and linguistic experience variations within the academia and provide our students with linguistic and social agency.
