El sendero torcido al español [The Twisted Path to Spanish]: The Development of Bilingual Teachers' Spanish-Language Proficiency

Abstract

This paper describes the development of Spanish-language proficiency in bilingual preservice teachers at a university on the Texas–Mexico border. A survey with open-ended questions was administered to preservice teachers in bilingual and English as a Second Language certification programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the paths that heritage Spanish-speaking preservice teachers take to become bilingual in a border community university. The analysis of their responses suggests that they are individuals negotiating their identities between language communities. The influences of community, family, and school on their Spanish-language development are presented. In addition, implications for improving Spanish-language proficiency for bilingual teachers are discussed.