The first part of this study reports findings of the improved scope, reliability, and validity of a questionnaire completed by 89 students designed to measure Critical Language Awareness (CLA) in Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) university classrooms. The second part of this study applies the questionnaire longitudinally at a large US West Coast institution to assess the development of CLA among 27 students enrolled in SHL courses. Results show that students made significant gains in one out of five themes. As critical approaches achieve more prominence in SHL education, the ability to measure students’ CLA offers important opportunities for SHL directors and instructors to gain a greater understanding of their student population, as well as to focus on specific areas of improvement. Implications for SHL program evaluation and development are discussed, offering a vision for a more explicit curriculum that intentionally raises students’ sociopolitical awareness of language hierarchies.
Measuring Critical Language Awareness in Spanish as a Heritage Language Classrooms
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