ZTC Resource & Course

According to OCC’s Course Catalogue This link will take you to an external website in a new tab., Spanish A160 (5 units) “is designed for students whose primary experience with Spanish has been with their family and/or community, and who have had little to no exposure to Spanish in an academic setting. Course instruction builds upon the students’ existing linguistic skills as well as their cultural heritage and knowledge. Students will improve their proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and develop a heightened awareness of the diversity of Hispanic cultures as manifested in Spanish-speaking countries and in the United States. This course is conducted in Spanish. C-ID: SPAN 220.”

The course I designed, however, aims to do far more than practice the four basic language skills and introduce students to diverse Hispanic cultures. Using two Open Educational Resources (OERs)—the University of Kansas’ Acceso This link will take you to an external website in a new tab. and LibreTexts’ Intermediate/Advanced Spanish Manual (Entrada Libre) This link will take you to an external website in a new tab.—this course focuses on meaningful interaction among Spanish heritage speakers through both written and oral discussions related to culturally and historically relevant topics. Students explore their Hispanic heritage, analyze Hispanic societies (including within the United States), examine the relationships these societies have with the United States, and reflect on their personal roles and identities within these societies, all while developing advanced critical thinking skills.

This course site aims to:

• Expand students’ knowledge and appreciation of their Hispanic heritage.
• Encourage acceptance of and appreciation for cultural diversity.
• Support students in feeling included as part of a diverse, culturally rich, and academically capable community.
• Encourage students to become life-long learners.

Special Features:

• Each module focuses on a particular Hispanic country or region to introduce students to the geographical areas associated with the Spanish language and their diverse cultures.
  • Students are also introduced to indigenous languages of the respective regions.
• Each module includes three class discussions in written and/or spoken format:
  • Each module begins with a class discussion based on a work of art (selected by the student)—painting, poetry (written or spoken), music, short stories, etc.—as it relates to a culturally relevant topic such as “the identity crises experienced by many bi-cultural individuals.”
  • Each module continues with a class discussion based on a short reading and a video of a native speaker (selected by the student) from the focus country/region, where students analyze dialectal variations and explore cultural distinctions and similarities.
  • The final discussion in each module examines a significant historical or cultural event (selected by the student) in which students discuss the event itself and its potential relevance to the United States.
• Each module also includes a paired, recorded conversation based on a topic chosen by the instructor.
• Grammar assignments are taken from the Intermediate/Advanced Grammar Manual (Entrada Libre) This link will take you to an external website in a new tab. housed on LibreTexts Humanities This link will take you to an external website in a new tab..

Statewide Impact:

Spanish heritage speakers frequently enroll in courses well below their linguistic level because more appropriate options are unavailable. Since many have never formally studied Spanish, they often end up in Beginning Spanish courses, which are too elementary for them and frequently lead true beginners to feel uncomfortable by comparing themselves to more advanced classmates. The result is a less effective educational environment for all, including the instructor. Unfortunately, heritage-speaker courses offered on campus often do not fill because of scheduling conflicts, and heritage-level textbooks are typically prohibitively expensive, often ranging between $120–$200 per semester. These barriers leave many heritage speakers without equitable options.

By offering an asynchronous Spanish for Heritage Speakers course based entirely on OER materials, students gain the opportunity to explore their own language and cultures while studying at a more appropriate and academically challenging level, leading to greater linguistic and academic development.

About Profesora Merlo:

Although I did not grow up in a Spanish-speaking household, my appreciation for and passion toward the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures developed early and have had a profound impact on my life. I began studying Spanish at age 14 simply to fulfill a high school foreign language requirement; however, I quickly discovered that not only did I excel in the language, I also deeply enjoyed the cultures connected with it. This led me to participate in three international programs: Youth for Understanding (two months in Spain), Amigos de las Américas (two months in Paraguay), and UCLA’s Study Abroad Program (one year in Costa Rica).

I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Latin American Literature from UC Berkeley in 1993 and a Master of Arts in Spanish Literature and Linguistics from UCLA in 1998. After UCLA, I worked abroad as an import/export agent in Guatemala for nine years. During that time, I lived in Guatemala for four years, married, and gave birth to my bicultural son, who is both a Guatemalan and U.S. citizen. I returned to California and have taught Spanish at the community college level since 2005. Since 2015, I have also volunteered with the California Community College Foreign Language Council (CCCFLC) This link will take you to an external website in a new tab., helping organize and host the annual October conference.

Studying Spanish did not simply have a “tremendous impact on my life”—it transformed my life entirely, and I relish the opportunity to share my passion and experience with students and colleagues. I sincerely hope you and your students enjoy the course I have designed. If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at amerlo@occc.cccd.edu or profesoramerlo@gmail.com. Gracias.