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10 - The Vitality of Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States

from Part I - Heritage Languages around the World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 November 2021

Silvina Montrul
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Maria Polinsky
Affiliation:
University of Maryland, College Park
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Summary

This chapter presents an overview of Spanish as a heritage language, using the framework of Capacity, Opportunity, Desire, to assess the vitality of US Spanish. Special attention is given to the state of Spanish-language education and its role in supporting vitality. Outlining two major directions for future pedagogical work, this chapter explores how the findings of heritage linguistics and the constructs of superdiversity and linguistic contact zones can strengthen the teaching of Spanish to heritage language learners.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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