The concept of noticing, which emphasizes the role of attention and awareness in language learning, has exerted a strong influence on second language acquisition (SLA) theory and practice. The current research analyzes instances of noticing evident across a 26-week period as the first author, an absolute beginner, was taught Turkish by the second…

This follow-up study explored the experiences of eight Latina heritage speakers (HSs), who were initially enrolled in world language teacher preparation programs at two educational institutions in the United States and who became in-service Spanish teachers. Using data from interviews, classroom observations, and a focus group, this qualitative…

Spanish heritage speakers in the United States exhibit a wide range of linguistic profiles due to a combination of political, social, and educational factors. Most of them acquire Spanish at home without formal instruction in writing. Although previous research has explored the main challenges faced by these learners in Spanish writing courses, no…

The acquisition of morphosyntax presents challenges for learners of all second/foreign languages. This cross-sectional study investigated English-speaking learners' morphosyntactic accuracy in the symmetrical subject-verb agreement type (in subject-initial sentences) and in the asymmetrical subject-verb agreement type (in verb-initial sentences)…

Advanced grammar courses often present standardized grammar rules to students without considering sociolinguistic variation. As a result, many native/heritage students feel that they speak "incorrectly," and many second language learners do not get an accurate picture of the target language's real-world grammar. This article describes…

This study investigated interrogative structures most frequently used by native speakers of French, in an attempt to reconcile differences between language forms taught in the French as a foreign language classroom and those that are encountered in authentic input. Radio, television, and magazine interviews provided multiple examples of…

Although much attention has been given in recent literature to the teaching of Spanish as a heritage language (HL), few studies have been published on specific Spanish HL programs, especially in states such as Utah that have only recently seen a large increase in the number of heritage students of Spanish. This study reports the results of a…

This study investigates students' attitudes toward native and nonnative speaking instructors of Spanish. A quantitative questionnaire was administered to 292 students enrolled in three different levels of undergraduate Spanish courses at a U.S. university. Participants were asked to rate Likert scale items related to native versus nonnative…

This article addresses the situation of lower-proficiency heritage language learners of Spanish in terms of their linguistic similarities to second language learners. The analysis highlights grammatical and lexical features in the oral discourse of Spanish heritage and second language learners at intermediate and advanced levels of study,…

This study examines the motivations, attitudes, and goals of a Spanish for native speakers (SNS) class at a large Midwestern university over a semester, using questionnaires, student interviews, classroom observation, and instructor interviews as data sources. It presents results from four students who participated in the data collection, but…

An intensive course in Spanish is described which met daily for eight weeks from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Time was divided among classroom instruction, native speaker groups, and the language laboratory. (RM)

Offers an analysis of native speech data as a base for teaching the past tense in German. Interviews with native speakers revealed that the present perfect serves as the dominant past tense for main verbs; modal verbs, the copula "sein,""haben," and certain formulaic expressions occur in the preterite; and past tense use is linked to contextual…