Choosing a “Standard” Variety of Spanish for the Instruction of Native Spanish Speakers in the U.S.

ABSTRACT Many Spanish for Native Speakers (SNS) instructional approaches are based on the idea that there exist invariable spoken and written “standards” of the language that are preferable over other varieties and that will benefit students when acquired. However, such invariable varieties of any language do not exist, and thus a decision must be made as to which dialect and written variety will be used in SNS instruction. This decision is political in nature, and one that cannot be avoided. Basing this decision on sociolinguistic research, the author proposes a spoken and written variety of Spanish to be employed in the instruction of native Spanish speakers in the United States. The concept of “standard” is reviewed, and arguments are offered to support the decision as to which varieties of Spanish are most appropriate for SNS instruction.