Linguistic and identity attitudes towards Spanish as a heritage language and English, of return students in the university setting

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the attitudes of student heritage speakers of Spanish and their ethnic identities towards Spanish and English that derive from a process of retorno at the Language Faculty of the Autonomous University of Baja California, Ensenada Campus. Building on theoretical constructions from a sociolinguistic perspective, and applying a semi-structured interview as a data collection instrument, the findings reveal an overall positive attitude towards both languages. In this migratory space, speakers expressed that they used Spanish at home, as their Mexican identity was equitable with the use of English and their hispanic self-definition. In their process of retorno to Ensenada, students considered themselves both English and Spanish speakers, as they still deem themselves of Mexican origin, as revealed in their words regarding the identity they assume. In the academic context of the Language Faculty, we demonstrate some notes and suggestions to address this particular population and a reflection on being heritage speakers in this scenario.