If you live in California, you probably know at least one person who identifies as Latinx but doesn’t feel comfortable speaking Spanish. That someone might be you.

A heritage learner is someone who was exposed to Spanish as a child but lacked the institutional support from schools and communities to nurture their bilingual development outside the home. This detachment from Spanish was intentional–it is linked to centuries of colonial pressure on immigrants and Indigenous peoples to abandon their identities and assimilate to the dominant culture. But cultural heritage is not something so easily erased. Even if you did not receive a fruitful bilingual education, your sense of self may still be interwoven with Spanish.

We recognize that heritage students have experienced language loss due to living in an English-centric society. Our teachers are trained and experienced at carrying these students to a level of confident fluency while being sensitive to their unique set of circumstances that sets them a part from non-heritage learners.

At California Bilingüe, heritage learners are encouraged to lean into understanding and working through their individual language journeys which helps ensure that they deepen their connection to their Spanish speaking family members and cultures at the same time. This strengthening of cultural ties becomes the firm foundation from which their Spanish language skills can flourish!