Due to the especial circumstances in 2020, my research was focused on the following points:
1.Professional development through the participation in the 2020-21 Stanford Seminars to face the new challenges for diverse students with different needs (Success in the Heritage Spanish Classroom and Lesson Design) and the UCLA-NHLRC Online workshops (Key concepts and pedagogical approaches in Heritage Language teaching, Understanding and Meeting the Language Needs of Heritage Language Learners (HLLs) and Differentiated Instruction – Responding to the Needs of Individual Learners).
2.Preparation of materials for HLLs. The first set of materials aims to enhance the practice of verbs and seasons. These materials will be distributed among HLLs (Spanish language support and community groups) and will be uploaded in the Heritage Language website.
3.The purchase of books is focused on the review of the latest literature concerning heritage language, bilingual and multicultural education. The literature review provides the framework for my research findings.
4.I conducted interviews online to one parent member of the Peruvian Community in Japan and to one HLL. I am currently transcribing and analyzing this data, and will be included in an academic paper.
5.I am working on the preparation of questionnaires for data collection regarding the characteristics and special needs of the HLLs. As a result of two meetings with a member of the Peruvian Embassy, I will collect data at this institution through the distribution of the research questionnaires and interviews.