Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award

Award Winner

Recipient of the 2025 Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award - Runner-up.

To go to the Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award page, Click here.

Year of Award

2025 Award

Document Type

Paper

Abstract

Spanish Language Abstract:

Mientras ya existen muchas investigaciones sobre lo que es efectivo o no efectivo en las clases de español para hablantes de herencia en los Estados Unidos, hay algunos huecos. No hay muchas investigaciones en el contexto del medio oeste, que tiene una demografía y una cultura única. También no hay muchas investigaciones que examinen los sentimientos de los hablantes de herencia en sí mismos. A través de entrevistas con preguntas abiertas, los sentimientos, los pensamientos y las perspectivas de siete hablantes de herencia que asistieron a escuelas secundarias en Iowa salieron a la luz. Centrándose en tres ideas principales — desarrollo de la lengua, experiencias con otros estudiantes, y relaciones con maestros y profesores — es aparente que los hablantes de herencia tenían experiencias más negativas en sus clases mezcladas en la escuela secundaria pero tenían más experiencias más positivas en una clase solo por hablantes de herencia en la universidad.

English Language Abstract:

The experiences of heritage speakers (i.e. people who grew up speaking Spanish) in Spanish classrooms in Iowa vary greatly. Heritage speakers have different academic needs, prior knowledge, and cultural backgrounds than those who are learning Spanish as a second language. Previous research discusses the academic benefits or disadvantages of mixing heritage speakers into classes with second language learners, however less research exists that discusses the feelings, thoughts, and perspectives of the heritage speakers themselves, especially in the Midwestern context. Through interviews with seven heritage speakers who studied Spanish in both high school and college (where they took a class designed specifically for heritage speakers), it came to light that many participants felt their Spanish did not improve in their high school classes and reported uncomfortable experiences with both teachers and peers. The findings of this project suggest that the educational system in Iowa often leaves heritage speakers to fall in the cracks, both academically and socially. Heritage speakers deserve equitable access to improving their Spanish, unmitigated by social stigma or curriculum that works against them, in order to find better success in their future schooling and/or career endeavors.

Publication Date

5-2025

Award Sponsored by

Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Faculty Advisor

Elise DuBord

Department

Department of Languages and Literatures

Department

Social Science and History Teaching Program

Comments

See a related poster "The Schooling Experiences of Heritage Speakers in Iowa: In Their Own Words" in English which was presented at the:

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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