The Spanish Program for Heritage/Bilingual Learners is an initiative by the Department of Spanish Language, Literary & Cultural Studies (SLLCS) to meet the educational and linguistic needs of our changing student population. It is designed specifically for heritage or bilingual speakers of Spanish, or students who have a personal, familial or community connection to the Spanish language.
If you speak Spanish at home with parents, siblings or extended family members, and have personal ties to a Spanish-speaking community, please complete the Spanish Heritage Language Assessment (https://canvas.du.edu/enroll/MGJTJ) before enrolling in Spanish for Heritage Speakers (SPAN 2200).
If you have significant experience studying abroad or have completed part of your education in a Spanish-speaking country, please contact Dr. Lina Reznicek-Parrado at Lina.Reznicek-Parrado@du.edu. She can help you decide if taking the placement test is the right choice for your level.
Currently, the program consists of two sequential introductory courses, SPAN 2200 and 2250. These courses will help you prepare for culture and upper-level courses, as well as helping you develop the literacy skills needed to use Spanish in formal/professional settings. We do this by:
- Promoting the development of literacy and written skills in the Spanish language for use in formal and professional settings;
- Promoting critical skills to continue developing the linguistic repertoires that students bring to the classroom, including the study of variation and code-mixing in Spanish/English;
- Building greater awareness of the value of US Latinx culture and language; and
- Creating a community of like-minded learners, providing support for students' educational trajectories
For more information and an introduction to the program from Professor Reznicek-Parrado, watch the video here.