03/06/2026
George Mason University
Spring 2026 Spanish Heritage Language Education Online Lecture Series
“Linguistic Liberation: Critical Language Awareness in the Mixed HL/L2+ Spanish Classroom”
Dr. L. J. Randolph, Jr. – University of Wisconsin-Madison
March 24, 2026 (4:30-5:30pm EST)
Mixed Spanish classes are classes whose enrollment includes students studying Spanish as a heritage language (HL) as well as students studying Spanish as a second/additional language (L2+). As this class model is the most common context in which HL speakers of Spanish study the language, it is important to consider the challenges and opportunities that might impact the engagement and success of HL learners in such classes. This talk will examine how foundational principles of critical language awareness (CLA) and liberatory linguistics can transform mixed HL/L2+ classes into inclusive, empowering, and liberating spaces for all learners. Drawing on recent research, we will explore counterhegemonic ideologies and practical strategies that promote CLA in mixed classes and that guide HL and L2+ learners alike to engage with, critique, and reject oppressive language ideologies.
Registration for this virtual event is free but required!
Please register via the link below or QR code in the flyer:
https://gmu.zoom.us/meeting/register/mZ2nFyL-TxCBLG9JkND22w
Read more about our invited speaker:
Dr. L. J. Randolph Jr. is current assistant professor of World Language Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research and teaching address critical issues in language education, including teaching Spanish to heritage and native speakers, incorporating justice-oriented/anti-racist/anti-colonial pedagogies, and centering Blackness and Indigenousness. He has published widely in these areas and is coeditor of the book (with Kathy Davidson & Stacey Margarita Johnson), How we take action: Social justice in PK-16 language classrooms (2023, Information Age Publishing).
Dr. Randolph has also served broadly in leadership roles including past president of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), president of the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina (FLANC), president of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), and founding vice-chair of ACTFL’s special interest group for Critical and Social Justice approaches.
