12th National Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language (NSSHL)

May 12, 2025 - May 14, 2025

https://sites.northwestern.edu/nsshl2025/

The National Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language (NSSHL) is an intellectual forum for the discussion and advancement on education and research to better support the strengths and diverse pedagogical needs of Spanish heritage bilingualism in the United States.

The 12th NSSHL will be held from Monday, May 12th to Wednesday, May 14th, 2025, at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. It will take place in person and follow the regular format of keynotes, conference presentations, academic panels, and workshops to allow attendees to share ideas and knowledge about the different aspects of Spanish heritage language teaching, practices, and research.

Submission instructions:

The proposal: authors are invited to submit a proposal of no more than 300 words for either a 30-minute individual presentation, a 60-minute workshop, or a 90-minute panel (maximum 4 presenters). Presenters may present up to two (2) proposals as a lead presenter or as a co-presenter.

All proposals need to include the following:

1. Title of presentation

2. Abstract for conference program (50-word maximum)

3. Presentation description: Presentation proposal (300-word maximum) that addresses the following questions:
a. What aspects of change/innovation will you be discussing?
b. How did you work collaboratively to identify these opportunities for change?
c. How are these findings impactful to the profession/field?

4. Three to five learning objectives: What do you want the audience to take away from your presentation?

5. Selection of presentation format: Please select the format that best fits your presentation:
a. Presentations: Each individual presentation will be allotted a total of 30 minutes, with 10 of those minutes dedicated to active discussion with the audience.
b. Workshops: These workshops are designed with an intentional focus on skill and knowledge development. Presenters should plan to share information about a particular body of knowledge, evidence-based practice, engaged teaching or research techniques, assessment or research results, or methodologies. Active discussion between audience and presenter(s) should be encouraged throughout the session.
c. Panels: Panels are designed to exchange information about a particular body of knowledge, evidence-based practice, engaged teaching technique, assessment or research instrument, or methodology. Panels include a target of a maximum of four panelists and feature active discussions and conversation from various perspectives about a topic. Panels will be scheduled for 90 minutes, composed of 60 minutes of active panel discussion and 30 minutes of interactive questions and answers with the audience. These proposals should identify all panelists, as well as a moderator for the panel discussion.

6. Focus Areas:
- Heritage Languages and New Technologies
- Multiliteracies and Translanguaging
- Raciolinguistics and Language Ideologies
- Heritage Language Pedagogy in K-12 and Higher Education
- Antiracist, Decolonial, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Research
- Honoring our Roots and our Community. Diversifying the HL Curriculum: Centering Afrolatinx and Indigenous Heritages in the HL Curriculum; Multilingual Learners; Other
- OER Projects
- Heritage Language Program Administration, Coordination, and Leadership
- Other: ____________________________________________________________

Proposal submission deadline: December 1st, 2024

Language of proposal and presentation: Spanish, English, or Spanglish.

Anonymization: The name of the presenter(s) or an institution should not be included in the proposal, and any other personal references should be anonymized in the body of the proposal.

Review process: Submitted proposals will be reviewed through a three-blind review process. The scientific committee of the 12th NSSHL will evaluate abstracts against the following criteria:
• Topic/issue/problem is relevant to the field of Spanish as heritage language (SHL).
• Proposal is innovative and/or unique in its approach to SHL.
• Clearly stated goals, objectives, and intended outcomes of the session.
• Mentions methodology, results, and implications for the field.
• Proposal is well organized and written in a clear, accurate style, and includes references.

Acceptance notification: authors will be notified by February 1st, 2025.

Submissions open: Sept. 1, 2024 - Dec. 1, 2024

Abstract review period: Dec. 15, 2024 - Feb. 1, 2025

Submit to this conference