Affective and Experiential Influences on English Skills of Heritage Spanish Speakers

Gemstone Team GABS (Grammar Acquisition in Bilingual Students)

As the Hispanic population in the United States increases, English language education for Hispanic students becomes a vital issue. Numerous factors can affect an individual's acquisition of a second language. This study analyzed the effects of media exposure to, interaction in, and valorization of English on the English skills of heritage Spanish speaking fifth grade students at an elementary school in Maryland. This mixed-methods study incorporated a unique combination of observation, surveys, interviews, and a language assessment test to understand the problem. The analyses revealed that media exposure, productive interaction, and the students' internal valorization of English produced no significant correlation with English proficiency. However, productive interaction and external valorization from parents resulted in a negative correlation with English proficiency.