The Sabine Ulibarrí
Spanish as a Heritage Language - SHL

All UNM students who choose Spanish to fulfill their language requirement are required to take a Spanish Placement Evaluation for placement at the appropriate level. This evaluation is administered in the Language Learning Center located in 124 Ortega Hall. Students will need to meet this requirement by last day of the second week of classes.

Placement Exam schedule

María Dolores Gonzales - Program Coordinator
Ortega Hall, room 415 (505) 277-4310 mdgv@unm.edu

Vanessa Vander Galien, Language Instruction Administrative Assistant, OrtegaHall 235B, 277-2975 vanevg@unm.edu

This program is designed for students who grew up in a Spanish-speaking environment but may not speak Spanish themselves. The objective of these classes is to build upon the language base which students already possess. Spanish as a Heritage Language courses are numbered 111, 112, 211, and 212.

What is the Spanish as a Heritage Language Program?

SHL offers Spanish classes especially designed for Spanish/English speakers who consider Spanish their heritage language.

What is a heritage language?

A heritage language is a language spoken in the home and community, by parents or grandparents, family, friends, and neighbors.

Who can take these classes?

These classes are for students who grew up in a Spanish-speaking environment who understand or speak some Spanish, and wish to develop their existing language skills.

Why do we offer SHL classes?

The SHL Program teaches Spanish as a Heritage Language, whereas the Second Language Program teaches Spanish as a foreign language. SHL speakers who enroll in the SSL classes often resent being drilled on pronunciation and structures they already control. They become bored, lose interest in class, and consequently, receive low or failing grades.

What will I learn in a SHL class?

SHL classes are designed to build on the language base students already possess. The Spanish students already know, is not viewed as a “bad” form of Spanish that is incorrect or needs to be eliminated. Rather, it is viewed as an extremely valid means of oral communication. The primary purpose of the SHL Program is to develop literacy, reading and writing skills.

Who teaches SHL classes?

The instructors in this program, generally native speakers, are familiar with the Spanish spoken in the Southwest, and with formal and informal structures. Rather than try to correct the students’ oral skills, the instructors build upon the skills they already have.

Should I enroll in Spanish 111* 112* 211* or 212* ?

The best way to determine which class is best suited to your needs is to take the placement evaluation. The placement evaluation will tell us what skills you already have and what you need to improve them. You will be placed at the course level that meets your personal needs. This placement evaluation is an evaluation tool given during the summer orientation and throughout the academic year. You may also come in and visit the Coordinator of the SHL Program and get more information about the program as well as discuss any concerns you may have.

Beginning Spanish: Spanish 111*

This is a beginning course for students who grew up around Spanish, understand 50% of a basic Spanish conversation, and can produce isolated words but not full sentences. Emphasis is placed on the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in addition to acquisition of basic vocabulary that will allow students to satisfy basic survival and social needs in Spanish. The class will focus on the development of basic reading and writing structures.

Beginning Spanish: Spanish 112*

Students in this course usually understand and can speak some Spanish, but lack confidence in their oral skills. A continued emphasis is placed on listening, speaking, reading and writing, and the development of vocabulary and basic orthographic skills.

Beginning Spanish: Spanish 211*

Spanish 211 is an intermediate course for heritage language learners who possess comprehension, oral, and basic skills in reading and writing. Attention in this course is placed on oral activities and grammar with comparisons between popular and formal language. All four-language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) are emphasized via cultural and community activities.

Beginning Spanish: Spanish 212*

Spanish 212 continues to emphasize all four-language skills with a focus on literacy, reading and writing skills. Traditional and popular cultures are incorporated to increase an awareness of the linguistic, historical and cultural situation in the Spanish-speaking Southwest. Multimedia and community activities are utilized to develop and maximize comprehension and oral communication.