Spanish heritage speakers in foreign language classrooms in Italy: roles, emotions, and the experience of exclusion

This article reports findings from a qualitative study on the classroom experiences of Spanish heritage language speakers (HLS) in Italy enrolled in Spanish as a foreign language courses with Italian peers. Based on 46 autobiographical narratives collected through guided video interviews, the study examines the roles HLS students assumed—or were denied—within classroom dynamics and the emotional consequences of these experiences. Results show that HLS were frequently marginalized, either ignored or treated as linguistic anomalies. Roles such as language model or informal tutor emerged only occasionally and lacked institutional recognition. The emotional analysis reveals a predominance of negative emotions—especially frustration, sadness, and anger—most often associated with teacher interactions. Peer interactions, by contrast, tended to generate neutral or mildly positive experiences. Overall, the findings underscore the need for inclusive pedagogical approaches that recognize the distinctive linguistic and affective profiles of HLS students and promote more equitable and collaborative mixed classrooms.