Oscar 2024

Research that addresses the needs of heritage speakers of Spanish as in-service teachers is required as they incorporate into the teaching profession as world language teachers of their own heritage language. This research used a qualitative multiple case study design to explore the experiences as teachers of eight Latina heritage speakers. The methods of data collection included interviews, classroom observations, and a focus group. The study sought to answer these research questions: What motivates heritage speakers to stay in the profession? What challenges do they experience as teachers of Spanish? What are their professional development needs? How do their perceptions and attitudes about their use of Spanish evolve from pre to in-service teachers?