Presentation Schedule
Transforming Heritage Language Skills into Teaching Power (107277)
Session Chair: Mariane Gazaille
Tuesday, 16 June 2026 16:45
Session: Session 3
Room: Room 107 (1F)
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
Capdevila-Gutierrez et al. (2020) highlight how perceived language deficits often prevent heritage speakers from pursuing bilingual teaching certification, exacerbating the disparity between Hispanic-Latinx educators and the growing K-12 Spanish-English student population. To mitigate these inequities, a specialized program in the U.S. Northeast supports pre- and in-service teachers through personalized action plans designed to bolster academic and pedagogical Spanish skills.
The program utilizes a two-pronged approach: academic preparation and individualized tutoring. Participants engage in Spanish literacy workshops focused on content-area instruction (math, science, social studies). Simultaneously, tailored tutoring addresses specific needs identified through mock Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI) and Writing Proficiency Tests (WPT), aiming to meet state-mandated teaching certification benchmarks.
This mixed-methods study presents preliminary findings on participants’ linguistic development and professional success. Analysis includes a comparison of mock and official American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) scores, tutor evaluations, and program completer surveys. Initial results indicate that personalized linguistic support not only improves language proficiency but also fosters heritage speakers’ self-confidence and pedagogical identity. These findings suggest a scalable model for addressing urgent workforce needs while promoting leadership in bilingual education.
Authors:
Gladys Vega, William Paterson University, United States
Maria Tajes, William Paterson University, United States
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Gladys M. Vega is an Associate Professor of TESOL at William Paterson University of New Jersey, USA.
Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ gladys-v-6154b112
See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule
Conference Comments & Feedback
Place a comment using your LinkedIn profileShare this Presentation
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress