Spelling in Spanish Heritage Language Education

This comprehensive book offers pathbreaking research and practical strategies for Spanish heritage language learning

Spelling acquisition and development is often a challenge for Spanish Heritage Language Learners (SHLLs). Instructors, too, struggle to find the best strategies to help their students internalize orthographic rules.

Spelling in Spanish Heritage Language Education argues that spelling is not simply the cherry on top of good writing or a mere editing issue; rather, the skills behind the acquisition of spelling lie beneath deeper literacy development. Amàlia Llombart-Huesca discusses how to address this critical skill, including the cognitive skills underlying spelling, the role of age and bilingualism, and a thorough description of the most common types of spelling errors students make and their causes. Throughout the book, she demonstrates the importance of spelling skills by showing how they can help students improve other crucial literacy aspects, such as reading fluency, reading comprehension, and vocabulary growth.

Written for instructors of SHLLs and researchers of SHL education, Spelling in Spanish Heritage Language Education includes guidelines, recommendations, and ideas for creating spelling activities and meaningfully integrating them into curricula. Combining novel research and practical strategies, this is an invaluable resource for Spanish instructors and researchers.

Amàlia Llombart-Huesca is Professor of Spanish Linguistics in the Department of English and Modern Languages at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where she also serves as the Single Subject Coordinator of LOTE (Languages Other than English). She teaches Spanish for Spanish speakers and upper division Spanish linguistics courses, as well as Curriculum and Methods for Spanish Single Subject Teaching Credential students. Her research areas include syntax, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, and heritage language teaching.