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Article published In:
Spanish in Context
Vol. 18:3 (2021) ► pp.430–458

Identity and investment in language learning

A case study of heritage Spanish speakers

| DePauw University

Norton (2000) argues that investment in L2 acquisition is also an investment in learner identity, which changes in the context of time and space – a notion that also has relevance for heritage learners. As such, the purpose of this study is to examine investment in language learning among HL Spanish speakers and the role of identity in their learning experiences. This study comprises of ten participants enrolled in an HL Spanish course who completed a background questionnaire, interviews, and writing prompts. Using narrative analysis, this study examines participants’ reflections on their heritage identity, HL exposure, and their investment, experiences and progress in their HL course. Results show that participants demonstrate varying degrees of investment in the HL, and heritage identity plays a role in this variance.

Keywords: heritage speakers, investment, heritage identity
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
  • 3.Present study
  • 4.Methods
    • 4.1Participants and research context
    • 4.2Tasks
    • 4.3Method of analysis
  • 5.Results
    • 5.1Language attitudes, identity, and early exposure to Spanish
    • 5.2Familial and social dynamics, expectations, and interactions as adult HL speakers
    • 5.3Learning Spanish formally: Experiences, motivations, and attitudes
  • 6.Discussion and conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 11 October 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.19026.ali
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