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Article published In:
Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education
Vol. 6:2 (2021) ► pp.189–213

Problematizing heritage language identities

Heritage speakers of Mexican descent studying abroad in Argentina

| California State University, Monterey Bay
| University of Denver

Heritage speaker identities have traditionally been a relevant topic of inquiry among scholars of heritage language pedagogy. Nevertheless, there is little research on Spanish heritage language identities in a study abroad context. Additionally, most existing studies on this topic focus on heritage speakers of Mexican descent studying in Mexico (e.g., de Félix & Cavazos Peña, 1992; McLaughlin, 2001; Riegelhaupt & Carrasco, 2000). This study examines heritage language identities in a non-heritage context by exploring the experiences of three heritage speakers of Mexican descent studying in Mendoza, Argentina. By focusing on a non-heritage context, we move away from the presumption that all heritage speakers seek to (re)claim a specific ethnic identity through language study (see Leeman, 2015). Instead, our qualitative analysis illustrates the diverse ways heritage speakers in a non-heritage context construct, contest, and negotiate their identities with respect to linguistic awareness, negotiation between varieties, and perceptions of their abilities.

Keywords: heritage speakers, Spanish as a heritage language, identity
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Previous research
    • 2.1Spanish heritage language learners in study abroad
    • 2.2Heritage language identities
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Participants and program
    • 3.2Data collection
    • 3.3Instruments
    • 3.4Data analysis
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Linguistic characteristics of the home and target varieties of Spanish
    • 4.2Case studies
      • 4.2.1Leticia
        • Linguistic awareness of and negotiation between the target and home variety
        • Perceptions of abilities in Spanish
        • Language practices and their relationship to imagined communities
        • Summary of Leticia’s case
      • 4.2.2Juan
        • Linguistic awareness of and negotiation between the target and home variety
        • Perceptions of abilities in Spanish
        • Language practices and their relationship to imagined communities
        • Summary of Juan’s case
      • 4.2.3Cristina
        • Linguistic awareness of and negotiation between the target and home variety
        • Perceptions of abilities in Spanish
        • Language practices and their relationship to imagined communities
        • Summary of Cristina’s case
  • 5.Discussion
    • 5.1Linguistic awareness of and negotiation between the target and home variety
    • 5.2Perceptions of abilities in Spanish
    • 5.3Language practices and their relationship to imagined communities
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 22 September 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sar.20004.poz
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