By Dámaris Mayans, PhD
For many heritage speakers of Spanish—those who grew up hearing and speaking the language at home but received most of their formal education in English (Valdés, 2000) —reading and writing in Spanish can feel like uncharted territory. While oral fluency may come naturally, academic writing often does not. So, what happens when you give these students just one semester of targeted instruction focused on academic writing in Spanish? Our recent study set out to answer exactly that—and the results are both hopeful and illuminating.
How Much Can One Semester Do? ACTFL Results Reveal Growth in Spanish Heritage Learners’ Writing Proficiency
In a world where heritage language learners often navigate complex bilingual realities, the classroom can be a powerful space for transformation. A recent study conducted at Colby College set out to measure that transformation—specifically, the growth in academic writing among Spanish heritage learners after just one semester of formal instruction. The findings, drawn from ACTFL’s Writing Proficiency Test (WPT), offer a compelling look at the measurable gains possible with a thoughtfully designed curriculum.
Why ACTFL Matters
The ACTFL WPT is a nationally recognized assessment tool that measures writing proficiency based on real-world communicative tasks. It evaluates writing based on function, context, and text type—from simple lists and phrases at the Novice level to structured academic argumentation at the Advanced level. By using this tool pre- and post-instruction, the study aimed to track progress in a concrete, standardized way.
The Participants
Twenty-eight heritage learners of Spanish participated in the study. Most had grown up in the United States, and nearly 80% reported higher comfort with English than Spanish. Many of them identified writing in Spanish as their weakest skill. Participants were grouped by prior Spanish instruction into three categories:
- Little to none (0–1 year)
- Some (2–5 years)
- Significant (more than 5 years)
Based on pre-test results, they were also grouped by proficiency into two main bands: Novice/Intermediate and Advanced.
The ACTFL Results: Who Gained the Most?
The most striking finding: Students at the Novice and Intermediate levels demonstrated the most significant gains in ACTFL sublevels after one semester of instruction. For example:
- One student moved from Novice High (NH) to Intermediate Mid (IM)
- Several students at the Intermediate Mid level progressed to Intermediate High (IH)
- Four students climbed from Intermediate High to Advanced Low (AL)
By contrast, students who began the course already at the Advanced Low or Advanced Mid level largely remained at their initial proficiency. Only one student in this group advanced to a higher ACTFL sublevel.
This pattern indicates what we commonly refer to as a proficiency plateau—a stage where learners require additional time, specialized instruction, and focused academic writing support to keep advancing.
No Advanced-Level Gains: A Positive Indicator for Specialized Instruction
Importantly, the lack of significant movement at the advanced levels should not be viewed as a negative outcome. Instead, it highlights a natural and expected phase in language acquisition where learners require more specialized, targeted, and differentiated instruction to progress further. This underscores the need for advanced-level courses that focus on academic writing skills tailored to heritage learners who have already achieved high proficiency. Developing such specialized curriculum can better support students’ continued growth and address the unique challenges of advanced biliteracy.
What Does This Mean for Teaching?
For the faculty at Colby College, the implications are clear:
- One semester can make a measurable difference, especially for learners starting at lower proficiency levels.
- Advanced learners need more of a challenge. A second-semester course or more targeted instruction in academic writing could better serve this group.
- Heritage learner classrooms are heterogeneous. With proficiency levels ranging from Novice High to Advanced Mid, curriculum and placement tools must be considered to help faculty meet diverse needs.
The Takeaway
This study affirms the power of intentional, proficiency-based instruction. It also supports the use of standardized assessment tools like the ACTFL WPT to measure outcomes. With the right tools and strategies, even a single semester can help Spanish heritage learners gain not just confidence, but tangible writing skills that bring them closer to advanced levels of biliteracy.
To view Dr. Mayan’s 2024 webinar on this study, click HERE.
Citation: Valdés D. (2000). Introduction, in Spanish for Native Speakers, Vol. I (New York, NY: Harcourt College), 1–32.
