Reimagining Equitable Spanish Teacher Education Programs: Learning From the Testimonios of Latinx Spanish Practicing Teachers

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 7:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Language Teachers' Experiences in International and Heritage Contexts (Table 31)

Abstract

This study presents the testimonios of eleven heritage Spanish teachers who are also heritage Spanish speakers themselves. In the documentation of their testimonios, participants reflected on their language experiences across the educational pipeline and on how the messages received about their languages informs their pedagogy.Findings indicate that participants experienced linguistic discrimination and were socialized with deficit-based pedagogies that sought to “repair” their English in elementary school and their Spanish during their teacher education programs (Flores & Rosa, 2015). Research has documented that pedagogical practices can be influenced by internalized language ideologies (Martinez, Hikida, & Duran, 2015). Participants shared that although they practice additive-based pedagogies validating their students’ Spanish varieties, they still feel pressure to prioritize the acquisition of standard Spanish.

Author

• Nancy Domínguez-Fret, Northern Illinois University