Chapter 18: Caring for Latinx Students in Spanish Classes: Celebrating Linguistic and Cultural Diversity

In this chapter, we continue the call for educators to listen to the voices of linguistically diverse Latinx students enrolled in Spanish heritage language (HL) and second language (L2) classes. Previous research (Alfaro & Bartolomé, 2017; Cervantes-Soon, 2017; García, 2013; Pak, 2018) has highlighted the academic and social benefits of incorporating Latinx students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds into the Spanish language classroom curriculum. This chapter will provide a brief synthesis of previous research. Then, the chapter will transition to best practices for educators who work with Latinx students in Spanish HL and L2 programs. Emphasis will be placed on programs that serve secondary and post-secondary students. If HL and L2 programs do not respond to the unique sociolinguistic needs and interests of Latinx students, then these classrooms will never meet their goals. Perspectives that focus on care and love in the curriculum (e.g., Antrop-González & De Jesús, 2006; Beaubouef-Lafontant, 2008; Noddings, 1992; Pacheco & Hamilton, 2020; Valenzuela, 1999) undergird our approach to this work. These caring perspectives, in turn, shape our recommendations in three sections, per Noddings’ (1992) recommendation: “Teacher Preparation,” “Curriculum Planning,” and “Evaluation”—so that Spanish HL and L2 classes are sites that foster a sense of community in which Latinx students’ cultural and linguistic diversity are celebrated.