Developing a Four-Year Comprehensive Program for Spanish Heritage Learners

1. Developing a Four-Year Comprehensive Program for Spanish Heritage Learners Graciella Nápoles & Kari Jaeckel Evanston Township High School Evanston, Illinois

2. Presentation Agenda • Demographics & Background Information • Rationale for SHL Program • Evolution of SHL Program at ETHS • Curriculum Development • Curricular Content • Current Projects

3. Evanston Township High School • Four-year, comprehensive high school • Located in Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb along the Lake Michigan Shore • Serves the city of Evanston and a portion of the neighboring village of Skokie • Total district population of approximately 78,000 • Community offers ethnic, economic, racial, and cultural diversity that is reflected in the student body

4. Evanston Township High School District 202 Demographic Information Demographic Information 2007-2008

5. Student Achievement at ETHS 4 performance levels (Prairie State Achievement Examination – Grade 11) 1 – Academic Warning 2 – Below Standards 3 – Meets Standards 4 – Exceeds Standards (Based on PSAE Results – April 2007) Reading Scores

6. Demographic Information Students We Service • 10.7% of population at ETHS or students are Latino (2007-2008) • 5 years ago this was 7.5% • 124 students enrolled in SHL courses in 2007-2008 • Regular, Honors and AP levels in SHL classes • Enrollment of Latino students in 5 AP Spanish Literature course is steadily increasing • 54 Latino students have taken both the AP Spanish Language and Literature exams since 1997-1998; all but one received passing scores (3,4, or 5)

7. Demographic Information Students We Service, continued Enrollment of Latino student in 5 AP Spanish Literature class School year # Latino students Class enrollment 3 or higher on AP exam 07-08 5 38 *also 9 in 4 AP 06-07 10 45 100% Lang 93% Lit *also 4 in 4 AP 05-06 14 39 100% 83% *also 9 in 4 AP 04-05 3 29 100% 93% 03-04 5 29 100% 86% 02-03 10 24 100% 91% 01-02 7 28 100% 96% 00-01 5 20 100% 100% 99-000 12 -- --

8. Identification and Placement of SHL Students • Articulation with Middle Schools • Collaboration with Counselors • Placement Process: speaking, oral reading fluency, writing sample, teacher checklist

9. Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program • Identify Heritage Language Learners • Students raised in homes where non-English languages are spoken • Students who speak and/or understand the heritage language • Students who are to some degree bilingual in English and the heritage language

10. Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program, continued 2. Needs of Heritage Language Speakers • Opportunities to develop greater bilingual communication range • Opportunities to use heritage language to connect with other disciplines and acquire new info • Opportunities to develop insight into the nature of their heritage language and culture

11. Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program, continued 3. Instructional Options for Heritage Speakers • Transfer of Literacy Skills • Focus on reading & writing • Editing written language • Teaching strategies designed to monitor the use of non-standard register

12. Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program, continued 4. Language Maintenance • Issues of identity and language • Reading culturally-relevant texts

13. Rationale for Spanish for Heritage Learners Courses at ETHS • Goal: To provide academically challenging and relevant courses to educate Latino students in Spanish, increasing their language and literacy skills in their home language • Academically equip students for future careers, higher education, and AP Language and Literature courses in Spanish

14. Rationale for Spanish for Heritage Learners Courses at ETHS, continued • Courses contribute to ETHS goals as well as World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) goals: • Provide opportunities for all students to perform at their fullest potential • Provide equitable educational opportunities for Latino students

15. Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for Heritage Learners Courses • Characteristics of a Level 1 SHL Student: • Often more English-dominant • Sometimes at a loss for vocabulary; switches back and forth between Spanish and English in informal conversations • Can read and understand intermediate-level readings, but writing in Spanish, like speaking experience, has been limited to informal use of language at home and with bilingual friends • Often struggles academically • Literacy skills in English may also be low

16. Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for Heritage Learners Courses, continued • Characteristics of a Level 2 SHL Student: • May be more dominant in English than in Spanish for academic purposes, and have little or no schooling in Spanish, or… • May be a native speaker of Spanish with limited formal schooling in Spanish • Lacks academic and literary vocabulary in Spanish • Can read and understand intermediate-level readings, but writing in Spanish, like speaking experience, is still limited • Often struggles academically • Literacy skills in English may also be low

17. Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for Heritage Learners Courses, continued • Characteristics of a Level 3 SHL Student: • Maybe fully bilingual in spoken language • May have some formal schooling in Spanish, but prefers to speak English, or … • May be a native speaker of Spanish and an ELL, and have extended formal schooling in Spanish • Comprehends nearly all spoken Spanish, informal and formal, academic and personal • Rich vocabulary development in Spanish if student is more Spanish-dominant and has more schooling in Spanish; developing Spanish vocabulary if schooling was primarily in English • Can read and understand most readings that use contemporary language and more concrete themes and topics; is developing comprehension and confidence with abstract and symbolic language in Spanish • Writing in Spanish lacks development, often mimics spoken language • Often struggles academically • Literacy skills in English may be low

18. Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for Heritage Learners Courses, continued • Characteristics of a Level 4 SHL Student: • Has experience in academic Spanish • Can communicate in speaking and writing completely in Spanish, though may still code switch or use English in public/school settings • Comprehends nearly all spoken Spanish, informal and formal, academic and personal • Rich vocabulary development in Spanish if student is more Spanish-dominant and has more schooling in Spanish, developing Spanish vocabulary if schooling was primarily in English • Can read and understand most readings, and is developing confidence with abstract and symbolic language in Spanish • Writing in Spanish shows development, though common spelling, grammar and punctuation errors are still evident • Often struggles academically • Literacy skills in English may be low

19. General Strategies for Teaching Spanish Heritage Learners • Holistic language arts approach, taking into account students’ backgrounds and cultures • Guide students in identifying what it means to be Latino • Foster positive attitudes through enabling students to gain a better understanding of their heritage language • Use of a variety of materials – culturally-relevant readings (short stories and other selections), history and geography, current events articles and films

20. Sample Unit: Level 1 Spanish For Heritage Learners Myths & Legends of Latin America OVERARCHING UNDERSTANDINGS • Students will understand what storytelling is and how its role has changed. • Students will understand what legends and myths are. • Students will understand the differences between legends and myths from various Hispanic cultures and other places around the world. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What is storytelling and how has its role changed? • What are legends and myths? • What are similarities and differences between legends and myths around the world, including the various Hispanic cultures?

21. Sample Unit: Level 1 Spanish For Heritage Learners, continued Myths & Legends of Latin America DESCRIPTION OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS • Participation in daily group and class discussions • Quizzes on individual readings • Dictations • Journal writing • Daily homework • Quizzes on sound-symbol correspondence DESCRIPTION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS • Paragraph summary of myth or legend • Guided expository writing using specific transition words • Unit exam THINGS STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO • Comprehend text at a beginning/intermediate level • Understand correct sentence structure • Begin expository writing • Use correct punctuation and capitalization • Use pre-reading strategies: vocabulary, text-scanning, predictions • Use graphic organizers to help with comprehension and comparison of texts

22. Sample Unit: Level 1 Spanish For Heritage Learners, continued Myths & Legends of Latin America OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN • Reading Selections: • Myths and Legends of Latin America: “La llorona” “La Virgen de Guadalupe” “Los tres consejos” “La comadre Sebastiana” “Los novios” “Guanina” “La creación (hace mucho tiempo)” • Vocabulary Development: • Reading Related • Language Mechanics: • Review of capitalization and punctuation • Dictations • Phonetics: • Sound-symbol correspondence (review)

23. Sample Unit: Level 1 Spanish For Heritage Learners, continued Myths & Legends of Latin America OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN, continued • Language Structure • Review of sentence structure • Writing Development • Continue journal writing • Introduction to expository writing • Short paragraphs and transition words • Paragraph summary of legend or myth • Comparison/Contrast of two legends or myths • Film • “Macario”

24. Sample Unit: Level 4/4AP Spanish For Heritage Learners, continued Literatura Fantástica: Chac Mool OVERARCHING UNDERSTANDINGS • Students will understand the characteristics of literatura fantástica. • Students will have an understanding of Fuentes’ short stories. • Students will have a better understanding of contemporary Mexican society. • Students will have a better understanding of Aztec mythology and symbols. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What is literatura fantástica? • What are the features of Fuentes’ short stories? • What are the characteristics of contemporary Mexican society and how are they reflected in Mexican literature? • What is the importance of Aztec myths and symbols?

25. Sample Unit: Level 4/4AP Spanish For Heritage Learners, continued Literatura Fantástica: Chac Mool DESCRIPTION OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS • Written assessments • Group assessments DESCRIPTION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS • Summary of the short story • Descriptive piece modeled after the style of the work cuento arqueológico • Unit exam THINGS STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO • Read and comprehend unit selections • Identify elements of Aztec myths and recognize their influence in contemporary Mexico • Apply knowledge of writing concepts (description and summary) • Identify characteristics of literatura fantástica

26. Sample Unit: Level 4/4AP Spanish For Heritage Learners, continued Literatura Fantástica: Chac Mool OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN • Reading Selections: • “Chac Mool” • Vocabulary Development: • Reading Related • Definition of genre of literatura fantástica • Cultural Enrichment: • Review of Aztec mythology • Contemporary Mexico • Writing Development: • Cuento Aqueológico

27. Texts and Materials Levels 1 & 2: • Nuevas Vistas, Curso Uno (Holt, Rinehart and Winston) • Nuevas Vistas, Curso Dos (Holt, Rinehart and Winston) • Sendas Literarias (Pearson Prentice Hall) • Other short stories from a variety of sources Levels 3 & 4: • Manual de ortografía y gramática para hispanos (Pearson Prentice Hall) • Cinco maestros (Coleman, ed.) • Literary works from a variety of sources

28. Current Projects • Developing reading and writing strategies for all SHL classes • Through work in Professional Learning Community • Technology integration • Visual and audio prompts for designated topics and themes to enable students to employ registers of language in a variety of settings both aurally and orally (using the Language Laboratory).

29. Current Projects, continued Reading Strategies (sample from Level 1) El trabajo en el campo by Rose del Castillo Guilbault Before reading (sample questions): 1. ¿Conoces a alguien que trabaja en el campo? 2. ¿Qué tipo de vida lleva la gente en el campo? 3. ¿En dónde en los EE.UU. hay muchos trabajadores agrícolas de origen mexicano?

30. Current Projects, continued Reading Strategies (sample from Level 1) El trabajo en el campo by Rose del Castillo Guilbault While reading (sample questions): 1. ¿Cómose sentía la narradora la primera vez que trabajó en el campo? 2. ¿Por quéel jefe de los campesinos no quería contratar a la familia? 3. ¿Qué comprendióla niña con respecto al trabajo agrícola de la familia mexicana?

31. Current Projects, continued Reading Strategies (sample from Level 1) El trabajo en el campo by Rose del Castillo Guilbault After reading (sample questions) Multiple choice questions

32. Current Projects, continued Reading Strategies (sample from Level 4) Cartas de amor traicionado by Isabel Allende Before reading (sample questions): 1. Si quisieras impresionar a una persona que no te conoce muy bien, ¿qué tipo de cosas le escribirías en una carta o mensaje electrónico? 2. ¿Es posible enamorarse a través de la escritura? 3. ¿Qué te sugiere el título de este cuento?

33. Current Projects, continued Reading Strategies (sample from Level 4) Cartas de amor traicionado by Isabel Allende While reading (sample questions): • ¿Qué había puesto Analía en una caja de sombreros durante un año? 2. ¿Qué hacía Luis cuando ella le mencionaba las cartas? 3. ¿Qué motivos tenía la persona que escribió las cartas?

34. Current Projects, continued Reading Strategies (sample from Level 4) Cartas de amor traicionado by Isabel Allende After reading (sample questions) Multiple choice questions

35. Current Projects, continued Writing Strategies • Cloze text activities taken from in-class readings • Guided essays representing a variety of genres

36. Current Projects, continued Technology Integration • Listening activities including speakers from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries in different contexts • Video clips on a variety of topics with discussion prompts to follow • Internet research and PowerPoint presentations

37. Resources Azulejo.  Colbert, Colbert, Kanter, Maura & Sugano eds, Wayside Publishing.  2002. La ensenanza del española hispanohablantes:Praxis y teoría. M. Cecilia Colombi and Francisco X. Alarcon eds, Houghton Mifflin Co. 1997. “Teacher Preparation and the Heritage Language Learner: What Teachers Need to Know.”Guadalupe Valdez, Stanford University. 2000.