This archived website provides information and downloadable resources from the Teaching Spanish to Native Spanish Speakers website.
This website is historical in nature and will not be updated.
The Spanish-speaking population is the fastest growing language group in the United States. In 2007, 45.5 million Latinos lived in this country, constituting 15.1% of the U.S. population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008).
Over 32 million people in the United States speak Spanish at home (Pew Hispanic Center, 2006; U.S. Census Bureau, 2005). Hispanics/Latinos accounted for 49% of the country’s growth from 2004 to 2005; 70% of that growth is in children younger than five (U.S. Census Bureau, 2005). In Los Angeles, nearly 40% of residents older than 5 speak Spanish at home.
The number of Spanish language radio stations, television programs, and newspapers has grown significantly, with over 600 Spanish radio stations and 500 Spanish language newspapers.
We have made important progress in our public and private school systems in the teaching of Spanish. Teacher training programs and summer institutes are held for teachers of Spanish as a second language and for teachers of Spanish for Spanish speakers. Classes for heritage/fluent/native Spanish speakers (the name varies by program) have been established across the country, and many materials for instruction in these classes are commercially available.
This Web site has been developed to provide information about the Spanish-speaking population in the United States and to facilitate access to resources for working with Spanish speakers in Spanish language programs. We invite you to browse our Web site for more details. Information and resources are also available on CAL's main Web site and at the Heritage Languages in America Web site. Visit the links section to see a list of organizations and links to their Web sites for more information.
Click here for references cited above.
