May 6-June 24, 2025: I taught an 8-week online course through Ohio State University. See here. I hope to teach it again in 2026.

Teaching Spanish to Heritage Speakers

Taught 100% online synchronously each Fall semester

Fall 2025: Taught by Dr. Kim Potowski
Enrollment deadline: Friday August 8, 2025

Tuesdays, 5:00-7:30 pm CST, August 26th-December 3rd

Open to Spanish teachers around the U.S./world.

If you are not a UIC student:

  • Please email Dr. Kim Potowski here to indicate your interest in enrolling.

  • Here are the registration instructions for a non-degree student through UIC Online.

  • Pass/Fail option available.

This course is taught in alternate years by Dr. Kim Potowski and Dr. Angela Betancourt-Ciprián.

Fall 2024

In this course, taught in Spanish and English, we review principles of bilingual development, Spanish in the U.S., language arts, and critical language awareness in order to understand best practices in teaching Spanish to heritage speakers. In addition to sharing comments on course readings, the class engages in frequent groupwork and materials analysis and creation. Most suitable for high school and postsecondary instructors.

Main textbook: Cultivando jardines: El español para hablantes de herencia by Kim Potowski.
Drafts of book chapters will be made available to students.

Credit: 3 undergraduate/4 graduate credits.
Prerequisite(s): Junior standing or above and consent of the instructor.
Recommended background: Credit or concurrent registration in SPAN 363, SPAN 448 or SPAN 449.

The course carries 60 PD hours of ISBE PD credit. Non-UIC students pay $540 per credit hour ($2,160 for 4 credits). This is the same whether the course is taken “Pass/Fail” or for a grade.

Fall 2022

Fall 2021

Fall 2020