Javier Farfan-Morales
Research Mentor(s): Teresa Satterfield
Mentor Department: Romance Languages Literatures
Authors: Javier Farfán-Morales, Viviana Velez-Negrón, Chloe Hong, Teresa Satterfield
Session: Session 4 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 115
Abstract
We examine Spanish proficiency levels in children between the ages of 11 and 13 in a Spanish heritage language (HL) Saturday school, En Nuestra Lengua. We observe the effects on Spanish proficiency level depending on the number of Spanish-speaking parents in the household and the parental motivations to pass on the HL to their children. Numerous studies show that sending children to HL schools not only strengthens the HL, but also boosts overall academic performance and builds community (Mendez & Satterfield, 2024; Arredondo et al., 2016; Tjunelis et al., 2013). We used Spanish survey responses as our data collection method to explore the motivations of Latino parents (N=40) to socialize their children as Spanish speakers and members of the Latino community or not. We also measure the child’s (n=20) HL proficiency using a survey in Spanish, collecting their opinions on their language use. We consider the HL level and factors such as the number of Spanish-speaking parents in the household. We hypothesize that those parents whose children participate in HL Spanish programs will feel that their children not only have the most proficient levels of Spanish, but also that their children are the most connected to the HL culture. Furthermore, we hypothesize that parents whose family contains only one Hispanic parent with children enrolled in the HL Spanish program will feel that their children are connected to the HL, but to a lesser degree to the culture. These motivations will be gathered through the use of Spanish surveys for parents and children. Questionnaires for the parents include questions concerning other resources the parents use to keep the HL culture alive. Another goal of this study is to find the most beneficial strategies for passing HL and cultural traditions down to Latino children, in order to provide information for future parents with fewer resources. While the parent data collection for this study is in progress, we have some early survey outcomes that suggest a positive correlation between children’s perceptions of activities in the home and HL use. The children in the Spanish program who have two Hispanic parents typically feel more comfortable speaking Spanish and have more positive attitudes toward the HL than their peers.
