This module offers a general sampling of resources that can be accessed via the web on the Spanish language, as well as other materials that can be obtained through libraries, publishers, academic centers, etc. With over 400 million speakers, Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world, after Chinese and English.

Modern Spanish is the result of a historical process that can be traced back more than a millennium, during which the language of the people from the Iberian Peninsula continued developing and changing due to the linguistic contact and influence of invasions by the Romans, Goths, and Arabs. At the end of the 15th Century, when the kingdoms of Aragon and Castille were unified, the language of Castille (Castillian) was extended throughout the Peninsula, imposing itself on other languages and dialects.

The year 1492 marks the beginning of the contact between Spanish and the Amerindian languages with the first of Columbus' trips to America; furthermore it marks the publication of the first grammar of Castillian Spanish, written by Antonio Nebrija at the request of the Queen of Spain. Today, Spanish is spoken as a first language in 21 Latin American countries and in Spain. It is the second most spoken language in the United States in the 21st Century, with over 35 million speakers, according to the latest U.S. Census report.

To deepen your perspective on these issues we recommend reading the following two articles (in PDF format):

Professor Valdés examines the place occupied by non-English languages in American society and chronicles the history of the history of the teaching of Spanish as a heritage language in the U.S. In their article, Profs. Gutiérrez and Roca seek to emphasize the sociolinguistic considerations and language attitudes of which educators must be aware when teaching heritage speakers of Spanish.

NOTE: To obtain information on where to purchase the AATSP Professional Development Series Handbook For Teachers K-16 point your browser to the AATSP web site or visit Heinle Publishers.