Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series about bilingualism in Athens.
When Emilia Alonso Marks addresses her son Adrian in Spanish, he typically responds in English or in short “sí” or “no” phrases.
Adrian and his sister Alex are heritage speakers of Spanish, which, in the United States, refers to people who are exposed to a foreign language at home but are educated in English, said Marks, a Spanish professor at Ohio University.
Marks, who is from Seville, Spain, began talking to her children in Spanish from the moment they were born, while their father, an American, spoke to them in English, Marks said.
Once the children entered school, they realized that not everyone can speak Spanish, Marks said. Now they almost always respond in English, she said.
Every summer, Marks takes her children to visit their grandparents in Spain to connect them with their culture and language.
“I think that’s really crucial that they spend time abroad, because otherwise they don’t see the need to speak Spanish that much,” Marks said.
Heritage speakers should be encouraged to use their language and should be educated in it from an early age, because it is an important resource that risks being lost, Marks said.
To address the educational needs of heritage speakers at OU, Marks and sophomore Spanish major Jaime Espinoza Moore are working on a Spanish course designed specifically for heritage speakers, Marks said.
Many heritage students in her 300- and 400-level classes struggle with grammar or written work, and some request alternative projects to focus on their weaknesses, she said.
It is frustrating for heritage speakers to be in a language class with first-time learners because they are repeating things they already know, such as speaking skills or oral comprehension, said Moore, who is working on a project about heritage speakers.
“They have different problems with the language,” Moore said.
The heritage language course would address identity issues, such as cultural roots and family background, through writing and grammar exercises, Moore said.
“For a heritage speaker, it almost seems more about identity than about the language itself … but expressing thoughts and ideas through that language is important,” Moore said.
In 2000, nearly one in five U.S. residents age five and older spoke a language other than English at home, according to a U.S. Census Bureau news release. However, there are not very many heritage language education programs in the United States, Moore said.
Although heritage language literature and discussion began to surface in the late ’70s, the movement toward heritage language education is relatively recent.
In 2000, UCLA’s National Heritage Language Resource Center began researching heritage speakers, their language backgrounds and learning needs to build a base for heritage language curriculum, director Olga Kagan said.
“The push in this country has always been toward the melting pot … so I think people were more inclined to forget the language,” Kagan said. “Gradually, by the end of 1990s, I think the attitude started to change.”
The center, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is also compiling a list of universities that offer heritage language courses, Kagan said. So far, 70 universities with these types of courses have responded, she said.
Heritage language speakers deserve the opportunity to develop their language, whether for career advantages or to better communicate with their families, Kagan said, adding that education helps to preserve the language.
“Otherwise, they are not developing their language,” Kagan said, “Otherwise, we are just losing them.”
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