Workshop for Teachers of Spanish as a Heritage Language in

WashingtonAlejandro Lee

Central Washington University21 July 2011

What? Where? When?

• Workshop for teachers and administrators • Yakima Valley Community College• Saturday, 14 May 2011

• Free clock hours for teachers• Free breakfast and lunch

How?• 6 months in advance• Funding from different sources:• Center for Spanish Studies / Embassy of Spain• Instituto Cervantes• American Assoc. of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese

(AATSP)• Washington Assoc. for Language Teaching (WAFLT)• U of Washington, Seattle (Division of Span/Port)• Central Washington U (Foreign Languages and Center for

Latino/Latin American Studies)• Consulate of Mexico in Seattle• Yakima Valley Community College (host)

Why?

• Increasing number of K-12 teachers asking for teaching materials, training, etc. at WAFLT conferences and workshops.

• María Gillman, U Washington, Spanish HL courses /liaison with CSS and Consulate of Mexico

• Professional development offered by Center for Spanish Studies/AATSP/WAFLT – clock hours

• Most faculty development opportunities take place in the Westside

Who?

• Presenters from a variety of teaching institutions, disciplines and experiences

• K-12 schools• Community colleges/universities• Teachers and administrators• History, Education, Linguistics, Spanish

Program

Some highlights

• Coffee donated by Starbucks• Lunch donated by the Consulate of Mexico• “Casa Hogar” director and women came

during lunch time• Heritage language student/UW and her family

Evaluations

• Very positive• Participants want more workshops, training,

practical ideas (“how to organize the class/course,” ‘more show, less tell’), name tags, more opportunities to interact among participants (“Hay una riqueza de experiencia entre nosotros y necesitamos hablar más sobre la práctica no tanto la teoría”)

Future plans

• Teacher training for 8 teachers from Spain (next week): What are HLL and Speaking in Tongues (Film)

• Washington Assoc for Language Teaching/Pasco, Wash., Oct. 2011 (3 sessions)

• “Spanish for Heritage Language Learners Working Group” (Gillman, González and Lee)

• WAFLT theme: "Celebrating the Diversity and Heritage of our Learners” / Kim Potowski, keynote speaker

• WAFLT Spring Regional Conference in Ellensburg

• More workshops on HLL (Yakima? Seattle?)• Why not CWU? Why Yakima Valley Comm.

College?

Recommendations

• Plan B (presenters having to cancel or not answering)

• Funding• Logistics• Advertising/Outreach: newspaper, email,

listserv, flyers, reports for newsletters/newspapers/dean, photographs

Dr. Alejandro García MorenoMexican Consul, Seattle

Mexican consul with workshop organizers and participants

What worked?

• Collaboration• Visibility for all participants and sponsors• New workshop locations throughout the state• Free clock hours• Support from Consulate of Mexico, Center for

Spanish Studies/Embassy of Spain, Instituto Cervantes