Heritage Spanish

Our Spanish heritage courses include two online courses and one in-person course, offering a balance of flexibility and face-to-face learning to fit into your schedule.

These courses count toward both a Spanish major and minor, and they are specifically designed for heritage speakers to help you strengthen your skills and confidence in academic and professional Spanish. Take the next step in your language journey with us!

Courses

100

3

SPAN 100A Intermediate Grammar for Spanish Bilinguals

This course will review various grammar and writing topics in formal academic Spanish to help students use the language successfully in various contexts. SPAN 100A is a place for students to increase their comfort level writing in Spanish, expand their vocabulary, become more familiar with different varieties of Spanish, learn when to use written accents, and connect everything they already know in the language with the linguistic terms that are used in Spanish classes. The course also watches a Spanish telenovela together.

Prerequisite

Placement

Bachelor of Arts

Humanities

Exceeds 12th Unit of World Language

Instructor(s)

Ariana Mikulski

200

3

SPAN 200A Intensive Grammar for Spanish Bilinguals

This course allows students to further hone the skills they developed in SPAN 100A by practicing several genres of writing. SPAN 200A is a place for students to participate in all steps of the writing process, practice proper citation of sources, continue growing their vocabulary, and examine more complex linguistic structures. The overall course goal is for students to gain confidence using Spanish in academic and professional contexts.

Prerequisite

SPAN 100A

Bachelor of Arts

World Language (All), World Lang (12th Unit), Humanities

Exceeds 12th Unit of World Language

Instructor(s)

Ariana Mikulski

200

3 Spring 2026

SPAN 297 Narrating ourselves (From the I to the We): For speakers of Spanish as a heritage language

This course offers a wide variety of pedagogical tools that allow students to explore the study of the Spanish language from the perspective of someone who grew up with Spanish at home or in the community. It entails the recognition of linguistic and cultural patterns that serve as a foundation for completing various classroom activities and reflections. To achieve this, the course integrates modern information and communication technologies, producing diverse forms of textuality (audio, photography, video, written language) and genres (interview, scriptwriting, essay, memoir, chronicle, etc.). This effort aims to identify unique identity traits that transcend the individual, addressing themes of family and community. Who should take Spanish 297? Heritage students aiming to delve into the study of their language and identity will find an opportunity to strengthen their knowledge of their cultural framework. Simultaneously, they will acquire powerful linguistic tools to elevate their professional standards within a highly competitive and sensitive professional environment.

Class Times

Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 12:20 p.m.-1:10 p.m.

Bachelor of Arts

Humanities

Instructor(s)

Alejandro Ramírez-Arballo

Frequently Asked Questions

I grew up speaking Spanish at home or in my community. What course should I start with?

Instead of taking SPAN 001, 002, or 003, students who are bilingual, first-language, or heritage Spanish speakers should enroll in Spanish 100A (or 200A in certain cases; see below). Contact Ariana Mikulski (amm71@psu.edu) with any questions about the courses.

I was exposed to Spanish at home or in my community, but I struggle to speak it. Where should I start?

Contact Ariana Mikulski (amm71@psu.edu) for more information.

I earned a 4 or 5 on the AP Spanish Language exam. Where do I start?

Students with a 4 or 5 on this exam begin with SPAN 200A because their exam score earned them credit for SPAN 100A.

I had high school experience in a Spanish-speaking setting (e.g. in an immersion school or abroad). Can I begin in 200A?

Students without AP credit who completed any of their high school education in a Spanish-speaking setting may start in SPAN 200A instead of SPAN 100A. Heritage/Bilingual students who earned a 4 or 5 on the AP Spanish Language exam start in SPAN 200A because their score gives them credits for SPAN 100A (see below). Also, Bilingual students who graduated from high school in Puerto Rico or a Spanish-speaking country are welcome to take SPAN 200A, but they also can choose to begin in SPAN 215 or 253W.

How do the heritage courses fit in with the 12-credit level proficiency requirement?

Successful completion of SPAN 100A fulfills this requirement. That’s because it is considered equivalent to SPAN 100, which is higher than SPAN 003. Successful completion of SPAN 200A or SPAN 297 also fulfills this requirement.

Are SPAN 100 and SPAN 100A (or 200 and 200A) different courses?

SPAN 100A and 200A are specifically for bilingual and heritage speakers of Spanish, while SPAN 100 and 200 are for all other students. Although they are different courses, SPAN 100 and 100A both count as the first course requirement for the Spanish minor or major, while 200 and 200A both count as the second course requirement.

Does SPAN 297 fulfill requirements for the major and minor and the language requirement?

Yes.

Does SPAN 297 have a prerequisite?

No.

Can students take SPAN 297 as well as SPAN 100A and 200A? If so, do they need to be completed in a specific order?

Yes, students can take SPAN 297 as well as SPAN 100A and 200A. For the order of courses, the only requirement is that SPAN 100A must be taken before 200A. SPAN 297 has no prerequisite, so it may be taken at any time. For example, students can take SPAN 297 before SPAN 100A, in between SPAN 100A and 200A, or after SPAN 200A.