TEACHING SPANISH TO HERITAGE SPANISH SPEAKERS FROM THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

This article discusses the type of Spanish taught in the courses aimed at heritage Spanish speakers from the United States. With the growth of Hispanic population in that country, the number of students of Spanish who have it as a heritage language has increased. For that reason, in recent decades, research on teaching Spanish to those students has been developing, resources have been created, and specific courses for native Spanish speakers have been established. Usually, it is considered to be necessary that Spanish speakers incorporate a standard form of Spanish which adds to the popular and colloquial varieties they bring with them, so they can use a register adequate to each situation.