Identity is the over-arching theme of this class.

Our Spanish for Native Speakers program now has four levels of classes. Classes are designed to meet the cultural and language backgrounds of students who are either native speakers or heritage speakers—meaning they have ongoing contact with Spanish at home or in their communities.

“By using literature, poetry, movies, current events, debates, history, and visitors, I try to foster a stronger sense of identity and empowerment in my students,” says Sergio Ovalles, who teaches the classes. “For each group, I look for literature that reflects the individual history of my students and their families. What has been very powerful has been when family members come in and share their stories of immigration with the classes.”

In addition to learning language skills and cultural appreciation, students in these classes find an affinity group that supports them in other areas of their lives as well.