Hispanic Heritage Speakers in the Language Classroom

Dr. Ewelina Barski and Melissa GonzalezNYSAFLT Rochester Regional Conference

Nazareth College, March 7 2015

What is a heritage speaker?

• Born in the US – OR – Immigrated before 5yrs.

• English dominant language

• Limited abilities in their heritage language (Spanish)

2007 US Census

1980 1990 2000 2007

% Change 1980-2007

Population 5 years and over 210 247 455 230 445 777 262375152 280950438 33.62846081

Spanish or Spanish Creole 11 116 194 17 345 064 28 101 052 34 547 077 210.7815229

In 2013, the Hispanic population was at 54 million.

What does this mean?

• Spanish is taking over the US!!!• FALSE!• Many studies have shown that bilingualism in

the US is cyclic and transitional. – Within the same family, bilingualism will last two

to three generations

Bilingualism in the US

Proficiency in the 2 languages

Spanish English

1 gen. Parents Strong Weak

2 gen. Children More or less weak (Very) Strong

3 gen. Grandchildren Very weak/ Nonexistent Very strong

1st Generation Speakers

español

inglés

2nd Generation Speakers

español inglés

3rd Generation Speakers

inglésespañol

Heritage Speaker Grammar

• What we tend to see in heritage speakers is a simplification (and loss) of the verbal paradigm (Silva-Corvalán 1991, 1994).

Spanish Verbal System (Silva-Corvalán)Nacidos en los EEUU

TIEMPOS VERBALES I II III IV V

infinitivo

Participio presente

Participio pasado

presente

pretérito

imperfecto

Futuro perifrástico

Presente perfecto

futuro

Condicional perifrástico

Presente del subjuntivo

Imperfecto del sunjuntivo

Pluscuamperfecto subjuntivo

Pluscuamperfecto del indicativo

Condicional perfecto

Futuro perfecto

Examples• Iba a ser profesional pero creo que tenía un

accidente (G2)• Porque este mexicano no sabía el inglés, no más

habló español (G3)• Y estábamos esperando a mi ‘amá, porque ella fue

a llevar mi hermano a la dentisa (G2)• La voy a guardar antes que llega (G3)• Se comunicó con el police department a ver si

tenían uno que estaba interesado en ser teacher, so me llamaron a mí (G3)

• Fue la primera casa que compramos. Estamos como 15 años aquí.(G3)

Extension on ESTAR

• Ser and Estar• Ser: With noun phrases and adjectival phrases

• Es estudiante ✔; es alto ✔

• Estar: With adjectival phrases

Unas de esas recá-, recámeras es el master bedroom, el más grande y el otro *está pequeñíto. (G2)

Absence of ‘que’

“No la hallo muy entusiasmada” yo pensé entre mí. Yo creo ___ no la quiere ver [la película] como yo.” (G2)

“Mi mamá no quiere que hago eso. Ella piensa __ si, si no voy full time no voy a terminar.” (G3)

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Word Order

Although the ‘normal’ word order is S-V-O, it is possible to move the object to subject position and to move the subject to object position.

Juan vino. S-VVino Juan. V-S

Juan llamó a María. S-V-OA María la llamó Juan. O-V-S

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Word Order - Example

• Una vez estaba en una gasolinera aquí y una señora llegó ahí. Yo estaba ahí esperando, estaban trabajando en el carro. Una señora entró y me preguntó si ___ conocía.

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Other Grammatical “Issues”

• Errors in gender and number in noun phrases – *un casa grande

• Unstable adjective agreement: – *mi blusa es blanco– *tenemos un casa allá – *¿Cuál es tu favorito parte?

• Omission of the “a-personal” – *visitar mi familia

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Other Grammatical “Issues”

• Increase in the use of subject pronouns – Cuando yo era niño *yo toqué la guitarra

• Use of nouns without determiners with a generic interpretation – *Osos son muy peligrosos. (los osos)– *Me gusta clases como pa escribir. (las clases)

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Acquisition of L1 (in infancy)

Acquisition of L2(in adulthood)

Early exposure to the language Control over aspects of language

acquired during infancy

Input is constant

Fossilization-NO!

Motivation is NOT affected Acquisition of more complex

structures and expansion of vocabulary after 5 yrs.

Later exposure to the language

Control varies- incomplete system of grammar Input varies

Fossilization –YES!

Motivation IS affected High literacy and development of

metalinguistic skills

HS vs. L2ers: Similarities

• Production of subject pronouns – HS and L2ers are the same!

• Production of aspect (preterit vs. imperfect)– HS and L2ers are the same!

• Production of subjunctive– HS and L2ers are the same!

HS vs. L2ers: Differences

• How does a heritage speaker learn their heritage language?

• How about a second language learner?

• Because of these differences, both groups of speakers have their own set of strengths.

HS vs. L2ers: Differences

• Bowles (2011) compared the two groups of speakers using 5 different tasks:

1. Imitation – respond ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and repeat the sentence correctly

2. Oral Narration – tell a story based on pictures

Bowles (2011)

3. Grammatical Judgment Test (timed) 4. Grammatical Judgment Test (untimed)5. Metalinguistic Knowledge Test

1. Part 1: Explain why a sentence is ungrammatical2. Part 2: Identify grammatical components (pronoun,

verb in the imperfect, etc.)

Bowles (2011): Results

Bowles (2011): Results

• These results show that:

– Second language learners rely heavily on their explicit knowledge of Spanish

– Heritage speakers use implicit knowledge

What does this mean?

• Play to their strengths!

• Second language learners are great at identifying grammar and talking about it.

• Heritage speakers are great at talking. (May not know how to read or write)

What to do…

• Understand that all HS grew up speaking Spanish at home. This is their first language.

• Talk about register (formal vs. informal)

• Create a welcoming environment– All varieties of Spanish are welcome!

What to do…

• Create activities where students work with their strengths

– HS with L2ers • HS talk and L2ers write (and vice versa)

– Get HS involved in the lesson • Use their intuitions! • Make them more confident speakers and learners

What to do…

• Ask HS about their usage of vocabulary and structures.– Avoid saying:

• “that is wrong”

– Avoid overcorrection

Remember

• We want our heritage speakers to want to improve/broaden their Spanish abilities.

• We can’t tell them what they learned at home doesn’t count.

Star Talk: Teaching Heritage Languages

• http://startalk.nhlrc.ucla.edu/default_startalk.aspx

Thank you!

Questions?

ebarski@brockport.edumelissagonzalez70@hotmail.com

ReferencesLipski, J. 1993. Creoloid phenomena in the Spanish of transitional bilinguals. In Spanish in the United

States (eds. A. Roca & J. Lipski), Berlin: Mouton, pp. 155-73.Lipski, J. 2008. Varieties of Spanish in the United States. Washington DC: Georgetown Univ. PressMontrul, S. 2006. Bilingualism, incomplete acquisition and language change. In L2 Acquisition and Creole Genesis. Dialogues (eds C. Lefebvre, L. White & C. Jourdens), Amsterdam: John Benjamins, pp. 379-400.Montrul, S. 2011. Morphological variability in L2 learners and heritage speakers: The role of experience. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 33(2), 155-161.Montrul, S. 2013. El bilingüismo en el mundo hispanohablante. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.Montrul, S. & Rodríguez Louro, C. 2006. Beyond the syntax of the Null Subject Parameter: A look at the discourse-pragmatic distribution of null and overt subjets by L2 learners of Spanish. In The Acquisition of Syntax in Romance Languages (eds L. Escobar & V. Torrens), Amsterdam: John Benjamins, pp. 400-18.Silva-Corvalán, C. 1994. Language Contact and Change. Spanish in Los Angeles. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Silva-Corvalán, C. 2003. Linguistic consequences of reduced input in bilingual first language acquisition. In Linguistic Theory and Language Development in Hispanic Languages (eds S. Montrul and F. Ordóñez), Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press, pp. 375-97.