1.0 credit/De La Salle weight

Prerequisites: Intermediate-Mid language proficiency based on evaluation by teacher

Spanish for Heritage Speakers is a course intended for students who have learned Spanish in a natural context and/or students of Hispanic/Latino background who grew up speaking Spanish. The Heritage Spanish sequence will allow students to bypass basic vocabulary and grammar instruction in order to study history, culture and literary contexts while immersed in the target language. Heritage Spanish students will be eligible to take two AP Spanish classes during their time at Saint Patrick High School, potentially beginning college coursework at a higher level. They will also prepare to qualify for the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy. Additionally, they will be able to talk with grandparents and relatives who live at home and abroad, prepare to perform in future employment comfortably in Spanish, as well as be prepared for study and travel in the Spanish-speaking world.

Whereas traditional Spanish 1-3 courses focus on laying the foundation of language and give a basic-level introduction to culture, the heritage classes center on the learning of history and culture for each unit studied, so that Hispanic/Latino students get a wider view of their own history and heritage. Additionally, the course takes a more language arts approach rather than a language learning approach, giving the students more input interacting with literature and writing, and thus dovetails with what students are learning in their ELA classes. The course(s) are a combination of social studies (focused on the Spanish speaking world) and Spanish language arts, with the focus of language development in an immersive environment.