Graduate student Andrea Vivas Vaca presents at the XII International Congress of the Asociacion de Humanidades Hispanicas in Burgos-Spain
Attending the XII International Congress of the Asociación de Humanidades Hispánicas in Burgos-Spain was an extremely enriching experience for my academic and professional development. I presented my project, “Reimagining Spanish Language Teaching: A Participatory Writing Lab for Linguistic and Identity Affirmation among Heritage Speakers”. My presentation examined the complex linguistic trajectories of heritage Spanish speakers in the United States, particularly the insecurity and sense of linguistic inadequacy that many students experience after years of exposure to English-only educational policies and deficit-based approaches to bilingualism. I also discussed raciolinguistic perspectives, translanguaging, and the direct relationship between language, identity, family history, and belonging.
Presenting this work helped increase the visibility of heritage Spanish speakers and emphasized that language is not simply a set of grammatical rules. It is directly connected to identity, memory, family relationships, migration, community, and social belonging. Creating academic spaces where students’ varieties of Spanish are recognized and valued is therefore essential not only for language development, but also for linguistic justice and identity affirmation.
The conference was a highly valuable experience. It allowed me to share my research with an international academic audience, receive thoughtful feedback, strengthen my professional network, and further develop a project that seeks to empower heritage speakers through writing. I am deeply grateful for the department support that made my participation possible and allowed me to contribute to important conversations about language, identity, education, and linguistic justice.
