Spanish Heritage Language Program

Spanish Heritage Language Program

¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to the Spanish Heritage Language Program

If you grew up speaking Spanish at home or in your community, this program is designed specifically for you. Rather than starting from scratch, you'll build on your existing language skills in a supportive, culturally-grounded environment that honors your heritage while helping you excel in academic and professional settings.

What is a Heritage Learner?

You may be a Spanish heritage learner if any of these statements are true for you:

• Spanish was spoken in your home when you were growing up
• You lived in a Spanish-speaking country for two years or longer
• Your first language was Spanish or both Spanish and English
• You speak Spanish with family and friends
• Your parents and/or grandparents often speak to you in Spanish
• You have a personal connection to Hispanic culture or the Spanish-speaking community

About the Program

The Spanish Heritage Language Program offers courses designed for students with a close connection to Spanish language and Hispanic culture. Our mission is to help you strengthen and expand your Spanish skills while celebrating the rich linguistic and cultural heritage you bring to the classroom.

What makes our program different: We understand that heritage learners have specific needs. Our classroom is a supportive space where we recognize and value the informal Spanish you learned at home alongside the formal academic Spanish used in professional contexts. Both are important and we'll help you navigate between them confidently.

Benefits of the Program

Students in the Heritage Language Program will:

• Use Spanish confidently in professional and academic settings
• Strengthen writing and critical thinking skills in Spanish
• Deepen connections with Spanish-speaking communities worldwide and with relatives from your country of heritage
• Improve communication skills across writing, speaking, listening and reading
• Complete a minor with as few as 18 credit hours

Courses Offered

Heritage language courses are available at multiple levels, from beginning to advanced. Students share similar language and cultural experiences that are incorporated into course materials.

SPAN 205 - Intensive Intermediate Spanish for Heritage Learners

Build greater flexibility in your Spanish abilities through reading, listening, discussions and presentations. Review grammar and spelling while deepening your knowledge of cultural heritage and developing appreciation for linguistic variation across the Spanish-speaking world. Latinx issues and cultural nuances are central to class discussions.

SPAN 325 - Bridging Linguistic Registers for Heritage Learners

Develop strong academic writing and speaking skills by analyzing contemporary topics through newspapers, magazines, essays, poems and films. Learn to write in multiple styles, including argumentative essays, while expanding your vocabulary and grammar knowledge. This course helps you use Spanish confidently across different situations and contexts.

SPAN 335 - Advanced Spanish for Heritage Learners

Perfect your writing and speaking skills for professional and academic contexts. Analyze political, educational, cultural and sociolinguistic texts related to the Hispanic/Latinx community while exploring the use of Spanish in the United States. Practice writing argumentative essays and monographs and develop oral discourse through debates, speeches and formal presentations.