Spanish as Heritage Language at CSUN

My research examines the use of Spanish in Latinx communities in the U.S. I investigate situations of contact between Spanish and English in the U.S., and I study how Spanish is developed, used, and maintained by heritage speakers of Spanish in the U.S.
I have conducted research on language variation of linguistic registers in speakers of Spanish as a heritage and as a second language. I have also explored the characteristics of heritage learners of Spanish and investigated pedagogical approaches for the promotion and creation of language programs specifically designed for the needs of heritage learners.
Since I came to CSUN in 2007, my goal has been to create a program in my specialty of Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) in Chicana/o Studies. Spanish as a Heritage Language is intended for Latinx who acquired Spanish at home, even though they may not have academic/formal training in their home language.
I have developed two HL courses so far: CHS 101 and CHS 102; these are the only courses at CSUN with the heritage speaker population in mind. Creating a track or minor in Heritage Language (HL) is timely and important as we serve many SHL Latinx who are eager to connect with their linguistic heritage. To make this happen, I will collaborate with the Linguistics/TESL Department to create a minor that utilizes existing curriculum and experts in both Departments. This project will benefit the minority language student population at CSUN.