Spanish II Students’ Decisions to (Dis)continue to Spanish III: A Case Study in a U.S. Midwestern School District
This case study investigated why high schoolers in a Midwestern school district chose to continue or discontinue studying Spanish after level II. Data was obtained from an analysis of the district’s Spanish curriculum for levels I through III, a preliminary questionnaire administered to interested participants, and semi-structured interviews with three continuing and three non-continuing students. The findings of the study indicated that continuing students found utility for Spanish in their future whereas non-continuing students did not. Continuing students also had more realistic expectations about the amount of time and degree of difficulty required to learn a language, which related to how they felt about the progress they were making. Motivation, a positive attitude, and comfortability were also associated with continuation, whereas negative experiences with the curriculum and teachers were associated with discontinuation. Recommendations were made to administrators on procedures they can enact to promote Spanish enrollment in upper levels: requiring Spanish courses for related 21st-century programs, transitioning to a standards-based requirement, promoting the Seal of Biliteracy, and soliciting teacher input to adapt the Spanish curriculum. Recommendations were also made to teachers to encourage student continuation: connecting the utility of Spanish for students, implementing a communication-focused curriculum, and understanding learners’ beliefs about language-learning.
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