This document discusses heritage language learners and strategies for teaching Spanish to heritage speakers. It defines heritage language learners as those who were raised in homes where a language other than English is spoken. It recommends using authentic materials like literature to teach heritage language skills while exploring cultural themes. Specifically, it suggests using the novel "Crónica de una muerte anunciada" by Gabriel García Márquez, which explores gender roles and values through a murder mystery plot. Literary circles are proposed as a student-centered approach to discuss the book and practice language skills in a low-anxiety environment.

1. Running head: ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION 1
Original Contribution
Cristian Miguez
EBL 5091- Capstone Experience for ESL and Bilingual Education
American College of Education
Dr. Rebecca Wiehe, Ed. D.

2. Original Contribution 2
When I started my Master’s in Bilingual Education and ESOL in January of 2017, one of
my goal statements was to receive formal training in Bilingual Education in order to be able to
shape future bilingual global leaders. Since an early age, I have been attracted to the intrinsic
nature of bilingualism. Furthermore, despite having been in the educational arena for over 20
years, I am still looking forward to the opportunity of practicing in a dual-language environment.
However, for the last three years, I have been fortunate enough to serve a community of Spanish
heritage speakers, which has afforded me a first-hand opportunity to understand the complexities
of teaching this unique population in the United States. Krashen (1998) concluded being
bilingual is favorable and has no negative side effects on an individual’s aptitudes to function in
society. Consequently, I would like to make my original contribution in the field of heritage
learners in order to share some of my successful tools with other fellow educators.
Heritage Speakers of a Language
Several scholars have defined the term heritage language speaker. However, the most
widely-accepted definition is Valdes (2001), “individuals raised in homes where a language other
than English is spoken and who are to some degree bilingual in English and the heritage language”.
Therefore, heritage speakers usually receive formal instruction in English while they speak the
heritage language (HL) at home. Furthermore, the difference in levels of exposure to both
languages will determine each learner’s strengths and weaknesses. Krashen (1985) stated that to
increase competence in a second language, a learner must receive comprehensible input, in a non-
threating environment, which has elements that the learner has not yet acquired. Consequently, in
order to craft a meaningful curriculum considering the nature of these learners, educators should
consider the natural language acquisition process as well as the developmental stages in L1 and
L2.

3. Original Contribution 3
Campbell and Rosenthal (2000) stated although these learners are exposed to the language
in their home as children, once they begin school in the dominant language of the host society,
their proficiency in the HL diminishes to varying degrees. Furthermore, in the case of Spanish
speakers, often times, the variants of Spanish spoken by parents, relatives, and friends do not match
the language used in academic settings, textbooks or the press. Moreover, heritage speakers are
often expected to be not only bilingual but bicultural as well. However, they have limited exposure
to authentic cultural sources, which could offer them an opportunity to be fully immersed in their
host and inherited cultures simultaneously. Consequently, HL educators should consider the use
of authentic teaching materials in order to afford learners with the possibility to develop language
skills and as well as to foster an understanding for their own cultural heritage.
HL usually develop solid speaking and listening skills. However, because most of their
schooling happens in the United States, their reading and writing abilities vary greatly.
Furthermore, some of these learners, may not know how to read or write the heritage language at
all. Moreover, as they get older, they tend to communicate less in the heritage language and
consequently suffer language attrition. Polinski and Kagan (2007) concluded that
“In the assessment of heritage speakers, the glass is perpetually half-empty: it is hard to
ignore what they do not know, that they cannot read or write, they do not know the standard
and that they do not speak like true native speakers” (p.374).
HL usually experience several language challenges such as retrieving words in the heritage
language, the use code switching to fill vocabulary gaps, and mispronunciation of certain sounds
such as single versus double “r”. Furthermore, heritage learners of Spanish avoid using compound
structures such as conditional statements, subjunctive or passive voice. Moreover, they transfer

4. Original Contribution 4
structures, which they translate literally from English to Spanish. Au and Oh (2005) concluded a
child’s abilities in the heritage language are a byproduct of the language the parents speak at home
together with their cultural attitudes such as instilling ethnic pride, discussing history and identity,
fostering an appreciation for cultural traditions and values.
Teaching Materials & Textbooks
In order to meet the needs of heritage learners, educators should consider using a learner-
centered approach model. Valdes (2001) concluded instruction of Spanish heritage speakers
should assist learners with language maintenance, allow them to further develop bilingual
abilities, help them with acquisition of literacy skills, and bring them closer to the literary norm
or standard form of Spanish. One of the principles of an andragogical model is that it allows
students to connect learning with their own experience; thus, they see value in what they learn.
Furthermore, it teaches learners how to conduct themselves through information. Moreover,
using thought-provoking activities, students can defeat inhibitions, behaviors and beliefs about
accepting their cultural identities.
World language teachers should guide language instruction according to The World-
Readiness Standards for Learning Language (2015). These standards are commonly called the
five Cs of : communication, cultures, connections, comparisons and communities. “What is
important is the understanding that the sets of standards guiding WLs do not operate as separate
entities; rather, they have been expressly designed to complement one another” (Katradis, Fox,
Tian, 2017, p. 49). Furthermore, language is an intrinsic part of a culture. Therefore, educators
should choose instructional materials which allow learners to understand, compare and use
language within a cultural setting.

5. Original Contribution 5
Finding authentic and significant heritage learner’s textbooks could be a daunting task.
“Much like Spanish language media and advertising, Spanish language textbooks tend to present
a generic Latin look that fails to recognize the ethno-racial diversity of US Latinos and Latin
Americans” (Davila, 2001). Furthermore, most of the available methods are not exclusively
designed for heritage learners. Moreover, they are a specific component within a Spanish as L2
textbook-series. Consequently, as an experienced heritage learner teacher, I would like to present
a recommendation for instructional material and explain the reasons, which led me to select this
book.
Crónica de una muerte anunciada (Chronicle of a death foretold)
Brinton (2001) stated literature serves as a vehicle for language and cultural enrichment
in which learners are able to apply their language abilities, expand their perspectives on history,
cultures and people. Therefore, I have selected “Crónica de una muerte anunciada” by Gabriel
García Márquez as a curricular component for the first course of Spanish for heritage speakers.
The book is based on a true story, which took place in the author’s town several years before he
first published the book. García Márquez collected information in an effort to reconstruct in a
journalist chronicle the series of events, which led to a tragic foretold finale. Consequently, he
accomplishes a genuine description of people, places, ways of talking and above all the treatment
of the conflict reveals the idiosyncrasy of the locals.
The protagonists of Cronica de una muerte anunciada are 21-year-old Santiago Nasar
and Angela Vicario whose parents forced her into marrying wealthy Bayardo San Roman, in
hopes of social and economic advancement. However, during the wedding night Bayardo returns
Angela to her parents upon discovering Angela had already lost her virginity. Therefore, Vicario
accused Nasar of defiling her purity and honor. Consequently, Angela’s twin brothers, who were

6. Original Contribution 6
Santiago’s best friends, decided to murder him in an effort to protect the family’s reputation.
Every person in town knew what the Vicario twins were about to do; nevertheless, no one
stopped them from committing the crime. Therefore, what remains a mystery in the book is the
circumstances under which Angela Vicario defeated societal expectations of avoiding intimate
relationships before marriage.
The book delves into gender roles, moral issues and religious values. Therefore, heritage
speakers can relate to a certain extent, to the dilemmas introduced by the book. Carreira (2016)
stated that text-to-self connection fosters engagement and helps support instructional activities
associated with the socio-affective dimension. Therefore, students feel empowered to share their
own feelings, thoughts and opinions on these issues. Moreover, literature circle discussions, as a
student-centered methodology, allow learners to practice their language abilities, increase
vocabulary, develop reading comprehension skills and explore identity issues.
Literary circles foster thought-provoking discussions among students. Furthermore, in
literary circles students read, analyze, interpret and pose questions to one another to feed the
discussion about the book. Moreillon, Hunt, and Ewing (2009) concluded that the purpose of
literature circles is to foster critical responses to literature, to provide students with a safe
environment for social discourse and to nurture life-long readers through a combination of
structured and unstructured activities. Furthermore, in order to offer a low-anxiety environment
students lead the discussion while the educators observes the exchanges. Moreover, in literature
circles, there are no right or wrong answers; thus, students earn grades based on participation.
Conclusion
Dolean (2015) concluded bilingualism offers several advantages such as enhancing
cognitive abilities, improving social attitudes and foster better interpersonal and intergroup

7. Original Contribution 7
perceptions. Therefore, language educators should advocate for enhanced curricular options for
heritage speakers of a language. Furthermore, language educators should carefully select
instructional materials, which encourage heritage learners to build a solid bridge between the
home and the host culture. Moreover, authentic literature can guide language acquisition while
providing a path to explore and discuss non-tangible values of a culture. Consequently, the
power of literature and literary circles should not be underestimated in teaching heritage
language speakers.

8. Original Contribution 8
References
Au, T. & Oh, J. (2005). Korean as a heritage language. Handbook of East Asian
psycholinguistics. Part III: Korean Psycholinguistics. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge
University Press.
Brinton, D. M. (2001). A theme-based literature course: Focus on the city of angels. In J.
Murphy & P. Byrd (Eds.), Understanding the courses we teach: Local perspectives on
English language teaching (pp. 281-308). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
Campbell, R., & Rosenthal, J. (2000). Heritage languages. In J. Rosenthal (Ed.), Handbook of
undergraduate second language education. (pp. 165–184). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates.
Carreira, M. M.(2016). A general framework and supporting strategies for teaching mixed
classes. Language Magazine, 16(3), 26-32.
Dávila, A. (2001). Latinos, Inc. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Dolean, D. D. (2015). How early can we efficiently start teaching a foreign language?
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 23(5), 706–719.
Katradis, M., Fox, R.K. & Jie, T. (2017). Learning to implement the five Cs by living the five
Cs: Portfolios and reflection in an international teacher professional development
program. NECTFL Review, 80, 45-76.
Krashen, S. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. Beverly Hills, CA: Laredo.
Krashen, S. (1998). Heritage language development: Some practical arguments. In S. Krashen,
L. Tse, & J. McQuillan (Eds.), Heritage language development (pp. 3-13). Culver City,
CA: Language Education Associates.

9. Original Contribution 9
Moreillon, J., Hunt, J., & Ewing, S. (2009). Learning and teaching in WANDA wiki wonderland:
Literature circles in the digital commons. Teacher Librarian, 37(2), 23-29.
Polinski, M., & Kagan, O. (2007). Heritage languages: in the wild and in the classroom.
Language and Linguistics Compass, 1(5), 368-395.
The National Standards Collaborative Board. (2015). World-Readiness Standards for Learning
Languages. 4th ed. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Valdes, G. (2001). Heritage language students: Profiles and possibilities. In J. K. Peyton, D. A.
Ranard & S. McGinnis (Ed.), Heritage languages in America: Preserving a national
resource. McHenry: IL: Center for Applied Linguistics