Español como lengua de herencia en las clases de lengua extranjera. Desafíos para la enseñanza
Spanish as a heritage language in mixed language classes. Challenges for teaching

Summary/Abstract: This paper explores the situation of Spanish heritage speakers in Switzerland who have chosen to study Spanish as a foreign language at high school. Specifically, this contribution aims to explore: a) the reasons they had for choosing these courses; b) the advantages and difficulties they have in Spanish classes; and c) the most productive activities for language learning. To this end, 23 students who speak Spanish as a heritage language completed a questionnaire about their experiences in high school Spanish language classes. These classes are attended by students with different levels of Spanish, which poses a challenge for teaching. In their responses, heritage speakers stated that they chose Spanish courses because they had prior knowledge and wanted to improve their proficiency. They mentioned having greater advantages in speaking and listening activities and difficulties with writing proficiency and metalinguistic knowledge. They valued supplemental readings and participation in oral interaction tasks as more productive. Addressing the diversity of these courses and the importance of including differentiated activities could have important benefits for students, teachers and the dynamics of these heterogeneous classes.

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