MODULE 2:
Orthography as a Thermometer in the Spanish Heritage Language Classroom

Presented by Encarna Bermejo (Houston Baptist University)

About the presenter:

Dr. Encarna Bermejo is from Madrid, Spain. She is an associate professor of Spanish and Director of the Study Abroad Program at Houston Baptist University. Her primary areas of instruction are
teaching Spanish as a second language,
heritage language, and bilingual program. She oversees the development of the second language placement exam and heritage language placement exam at the university. Her research interests lie in the areas of heritage language education, bilingual education, and sociolinguistics with an emphasis on Spanish in the US.

About this module:

This module explores the topic of orthography in the SHL classroom. Orthography is not a new topic, and we still learning from recent research. SHL educators will be more equipped to support heritage students by capturing a panoramic view of the different influences affecting heritage students’ linguistic abilities and gaining insight of their specific problematic areas.

This module is organized in the following lessons:

• Lesson 1: Orthography in the SHL Classroom and Beyond
  • Discusses topics involving orthography in the classroom as observed by current Spanish teachers
  • Shows how orthography is a social element that can also be a form of expression of culture, identity, and literacy
• Lesson 2: Second Look at Orthography in the Classroom – Research and Implications
  • Presents research pertaining to monolingual and heritage students’ orthographic problem areas and provides implications for teaching