¡Mira Esto! A Look Into the Heritage Spanish Track

Introduced in 2018, Lick-Wilmerding High School’s Heritage Spanish track aims to unite native speakers at LWHS by celebrating the rich diversity of the Spanish-speaking world through shared experiences and building off of students’ existing knowledge of the language. In addition, LWHS’ Spanish program offers a diverse range of courses that cater to students of varying levels of proficiency and cultural backgrounds, including a Beginners track and Honors track.

Spanish is the most popular language program at LWHS, drawing over a hundred new participants each year. As of 2023, the LWHS Spanish program offers ten different Spanish classes across 24 blocks to its 328 enrolled students. Many choose to learn Spanish for the opportunity to develop essential communication skills, foster community and open new doors into the diverse cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Spanish 2 Accelerated, Spanish 3 PPP and Spanish 4 classes are offered in the Beginners track to introduce students to Spanish. By developing their communication abilities, expanding their vocabulary and learning grammar, students can further advance their writing skills and oral fluency.

In the Honors track, students in Spanish 3H, 4H, and 5H explore themes of personal beliefs and cultural identity, diving into the world of Spanish literature, art and culture on top of the basics.

For many native speakers, the decision to take Heritage Spanish at LWHS is based upon a desire to learn more about their roots and the origins of their native tongue.

The Heritage track consists of a Heritage 1 Accelerated class and a Heritage 2 Honors class where students with varying proficiency in the language continue developing their speaking and writing skills in formal and academic settings. According to the Heritage 1 Accelerated course description, the class “is designed for students for whom Spanish is their home/family language and/or who are proficient in spoken Spanish but have not taken extensive formal classroom instruction in the language.”

Prin Gallo ’25, a native Spanish speaker in the 5H class said, “I want to be able to think in Spanish, to develop my native tongue.”

Anakarina Moya ’26, a native Spanish speaker who previously took the Heritage 2 Honors class said, “I appreciate being able to immerse myself into another world in the Heritage classes where I am surrounded by other students with similar backgrounds as mine. This is a unique space I don’t necessarily get with other classes I take at Lick.”

Spanish 3 Honors teacher Beatriz de la Cruz Pinar said, “The difference in the Heritage and non-Heritage classes is the approach to teaching the material. In non-Heritage classes, you have to develop the student’s communication skills before you can go in depth on learning about cultures and identity. After all, language can limit our ability to teach certain material.”

After taking two years of Heritage, students are then placed into the Spanish 4H class, a part of the program’s Honors track.

When Heritage students move into the Honors course with beginner speakers, the transition can be challenging. “It is difficult to try and process Spanish in an entirely different light when I, a native speaker, am already familiar with the language. After moving on from the Heritage course, I feel that I haven’t been able to truly learn about the Spanish-speaking world around me,” Moya said.

“It is key to know that native speaking students learn Spanish in a home setting, through speaking and hearing their family use Spanish in a non-structural manner. Their native tongue has been developed to communicate and express the culture they were born with. As for students learning Spanish as a second language, they know Spanish to be structured; Spanish is not intuitive for these students.”

Gallo said, “The regular program is taught in a structured way, whereas the Heritage program is inviting of all the students’ differences and similarities that join us together through the language. Because of that, I wish there was a Heritage 3 class available for native speaking students to continue with the course.”

This mix of skill levels in the Spanish 4 Honors classes causes difficulty for the Spanish department to structure the classes in a way where all students’ language needs are met. Spanish 4H and previous Spanish Heritage teacher Laura Miglani said, “All of the teachers and I are familiar with what each Spanish class requires in terms of knowledge and skill level. When a student takes a placement test, [the Spanish teachers] review the exam, looking for key skills such as grammar and terminology. By doing this, we get a sense of how developed a student is in the language, placing them into the adequate class so students can grow at their own, individual pace.”

When discussing the Spanish program as a whole, many students voiced the importance of having a Spanish course available at LWHS. Current 4H student Sophia Amanquah ’25 said, “I would like to develop a sheer connection with my family and be able to read and write in Spanish with fluency. That is why studying Spanish has always been important for me.”

Saahil Mishra ’25, another 4H student, noted just how much he appreciates having a Spanish program available at LWHS. “I love the Spanish language, and learning more about it can help me engage with others and learn new cultures,” he said.

Last year, both Spanish Heritage 1 Accelerated and 2 Honors classes were offered to students. Some members of the class of ‘26 took part in the Heritage 1 class, an eight-student class that focused on literature, advanced grammar and traditions. After a full year of Heritage classes, three students transferred to Mandarin. As a result, the Spanish Heritage 2 class has turned into an independent study for the 2023-2024 school year because there are not enough students to fill the class.

Though the program is essential for Heritage students, some students say they wish the course was taught differently. Yaretzi Cedillo ’26, a native speaker who transferred from Spanish Heritage 1 to Chinese 2, said, “The Heritage course was a wonderful opportunity for me to be surrounded by other native speakers; however, the class did not help improve my Spanish. I wish I had the opportunity to explore more about Latinx culture rather than gramar. ”

Isa Burke ’26, a previous Heritage 1 student that moved to Spanish 3H this year, said, “Taking the Heritage class, I realized that I needed to focus on the fundamentals and speaking before I could move on to learning about culture. For me, I did not develop my Spanish during my time in Heritage.”

Because of this, the number of Heritage students dropped from 16 students total in the 2022-2023 school year to only 9 students in the entire Heritage course this school year.

Some students have voiced the need to expand the Spanish program at LWHS. Gallo said, “I have taken the classes from both the Heritage and Honors track, and for me, one of the most important things I learned was not only about my culture, but about the vast amount of diversity offered in Latinx/Hispanic countries. Because of that, I feel that it’s important for all of the Spanish tracks to implement the themes of culture and world events in their curriculum.”

The LWHS Spanish for Heritage Speakers and Honors courses have not only provided students with the tools to develop their native tongue, but they have turned into affinity spaces for native-speaking students. In these classes, students can grow their understanding of their roots and be surrounded by other students with similar experiences. As a result, the Heritage track is not only a staple for native speakers, but the program positively showcases the abundance of Latinx culture at LWHS.

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Gabi Gauna-Torres

Gabriela Gauna-Torres is a sophomore and reporter for the Paper Tiger. During her free time, she loves drawing, baking, and traveling.

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