Spanish with An Attitude: Critical Translingual Competence for Spanish Heritage Language Learners Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Herrera-Dulcet, Andrea Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 06/10/2021 10:41:20 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/634426 SPANISH WITH AN ATTITUDE: CRITICAL TRANSLINGUAL COMPETENCE FOR SPANISH HERITAGE LANGUAGE LEARNERS By Andrea Herrera-Dulcet Copyright © Andrea Herrera-Dulcet 2019 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY WITH A MAJOR IN SPANISH In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2019 Spanish with an Attitude Andrea Herrera-Dulcet 2 Spanish with an Attitude Andrea Herrera-Dulcet ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank the Spanish heritage language learners who participated in my study, for they are truly the inspiration for this dissertation and I am forever grateful for their honesty and participation. I owe a sincere thanks to my dissertation committee co-chairs, Dr. Ana Maria Carvalho and Dr. Lillian Gorman, for their continued guidance and support. I am greatly indebted to Dr.Carvalho, who inspired me to become a researcher in Spanish sociolinguistics, for the countless hours she spent mentoring me throughout my doctoral journey. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Gorman, who motivated me to bring social justice into the heritage language classroom and encouraged me to always examine language teaching approaches with a critical inquiry. Both are an inspiration to me, personally and academically. I would also like to acknowledge my third committee member, Dr. Leah Duran, for her diverse insights, constructive feedback, and valuable advice and guidance throughout the dissertation process. My deepest gratitude goes to my friends and family, without whom I could not have accomplished this goal. I am appreciative of the advice and support of my friends and unofficial editors, the ever-inspiring Brigette, the ever-chingona Gabrielle, the ever-generous Tasha, and the ever-positive Miriam, amazingly powerful women who impress me daily with their genuine love and brain power. I would especially like to thank my mother for always supporting me in my academic endeavors and being a constant grounding presence in my life. Finally, I would like to thank my wonderful husband, Jordan, for his unconditional love and constant support throughout my graduate program and dissertation. Without his deep trust in me, his valuable insights, and the numerous intellectual discussions we have shared, I would not be where I am today. 3 Spanish with an Attitude Andrea Herrera-Dulcet DEDICATION For the extraordinarily smiley Isabel, who started this journey with me; and for the brilliant storm Maximilian and the ever-unstoppable wondrous Julianna, with whom I ended it. May your bilingualism always be a creative resource that defies standards. ____________________________________________________________ And for all speakers of minoritized languages, may nothing stop you from raising your multilingual voice, especially with a critical attitude. 4 Spanish with an Attitude Andrea Herrera-Dulcet TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………………………6 1. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE PRESENT STUDIES…………………………….8 1.1. Introduction………..…………….……………………………………………………….8 1.2 Spanish Heritage Language Education in the U.S. ……………………………………….8 1.3 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………………………..12 1.3.1 Critical Pedagogies…………………………………………………….…………..12 1.3.2 Critical Language Awareness……………………………………………………...13 1.4 Literature Review…………………………………………………………….…………..14 1.5 Statement of the Problem and Research Questions ……………………………………..18 1.6 Research Setting…………………………………………………………………………19 1.6.1 The U.S. Southwest………………………………………………………………..19 1.6.2. The University, the Program, and the Participants. ………………………………22 1.6.3 The Course………………………………………………………………………....26 1.6.4 The Sociolinguistically Informed Critical Pedagogy……………………………....29 2. CHAPTER 2: SUMMARY OF RESULTS AND CONCLUSION………………………...…31 3. REFERENCES…………………………………………………………………….………….35 4. APPENDIX A. “UNDRESSING SPANGLISH”: CRITICAL TRANSLINGUAL COMPETENCE IN THE SPANISH HERITAGE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM….……...…...49 5. APPENDIX B. “…AND THEN, SPANGLISH DOESN’T SEEM THAT BAD”: ASSESSING CRITICAL TRANSLINGUAL COMPETENCE AMONGST SPANISH HERITAGE LEARNERS……………………………………………………………………………………...99 6. APPENDIX C. “SHE WAS LEARNING AS MUCH AS I WAS”: HERITAGE LEARNERS’ CRITICAL TRANSLINGUAL COMPETENCE BEYOND THE CLASSROOM WALLS…………………………………………………………………………………………144 7. APPENDIX D. SOCIOLINGUISTIC MODULES IN THE SOCIOLINGUISTICALLY INFORMED CRITICAL PEDAGOGY………………………………………………………..178 8. APPENDIX E. CRITICAL TRANSLINGUAL COMPETENCE ONLINE SURVEY……………………………………………………………………………………….205 5 Spanish with an Attitude Andrea Herrera-Dulcet ABSTRACT In the last two decades the field of Spanish heritage language education has been concerned with the reproduction of Standard Language Ideologies (henceforth: SLI) within the language classroom (Carvalho, 2012; Leeman, 2005; Martinez, 2003, Toribio & Duran; Leeman & Serafini, 2018). Scholarly works suggest that critical pedagogies that include sociolinguistic topics and examine them critically encourage critical translingual development (henceforth: CTC), which can equip SHLLs to identify SLI and ultimately challenge linguistic subordination. Yet, practitioners struggle to characterize such pedagogies and the field is in dire need of proposals than can systematically implement and assess sociolinguistically informed critical pedagogies (henceforth: SICP). The present dissertation comprises three correlated but independent studies that examine the implementation, assessment and long-term implications for SICP in the courses for Spanish heritage language learners. Qualitative and quantitative data includes instructor journals, anonymous online survey and over 12 hours of focus group interviews. Using Action Research methodology, statistical analysis, and Critical Discourse Analysis, the present study reports on (1) the creation of a SICP and (2) the impact of SICP in developing SHLLs’ CTC, (3) and whether SICP prepare students to challenge SLIs beyond the classroom walls. Mixed-methods analysis revealed that SICP can be included in existing curricula and that SHLLs welcome these approaches, especially as they encourage SHLL’s linguistic agency. Additionally, survey data supported that through SICP students developed CTC, a s well as shift positively their attitudes towards the home language. Finally, focus groups with students four to five months after the course underscored the long-term maintenance of 6 Spanish with an Attitude Andrea Herrera-Dulcet CTC amongst SHLLS, as well as the creation of “language expert identities” that carry CTC from inside the classroom to the outside. In conclusion, this dissertation provides substantial contributions to the fields of Heritage Language Education, U.S. Spanish sociolinguistics, and Educational Linguistics by showcasing how to create and enact a SICP for heritage language learners, by establishing direct connections between SICP and the development of SHLLs’ CTC, as well as providing a quantitative tool to measure SHLLs’ CTC in any classroom setting. Finally, the present dissertation participates in scholarly conversations in the field by documenting the impact of SICP in fostering “language expert” identities that carry students’ CTC into to their communities, ultimately challenging SLI beyond the classroom. 7 Spanish with an Attitude Andrea Herrera-Dulcet CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE PRESENT STUDIES 1.1 Introduction The present dissertation comprises 3 independent but correlated studies that reflect the interdisciplinary nature of this project. Since this study contributes to different related disciplines, including Spanish Heritage Language Education, U.S. Spanish Sociolinguistics, and Educational linguistics, the dissertation has is comprised of studies prepared for journals in these distinct fields. For this reason, each study takes a slightly different viewpoint or frame of reference for the same topic of study. Since each study encompasses its own research question and methodology, the present dissertation will be divided in two chapters, followed by a series of Appendix, including the three studies, as well as additional dissertation materials. The present chapter (Chapter 1) offers an introduction to the field of Spanish Heritage Language Education in the U.S., The theoretical framework for the dissertation, a review of scholarly literature in Critical Pedagogies for SHLLs, as well as an overview of the geographical area, the university, the program, and the course under study. Chapter 2 presents a summary and synthesis of the findings and conclusions from all three of the articles along with implications for the field of Spanish Heritage Language Education. Finally, the last portion of the dissertation includes the three studies and their supplementary materials. 1.2 Spanish Heritage Language Education in the U.S. In the U.S., the label “heritage languages” includes colonial, indigenous, and immigrant languages (Fishman, 2001;