This book documents ongoing language shift to English among Latino professionals in California 67% of which studied Spanish formally in high school and 54% of which studied Spanish in college. Taking into account the recommendations about the teaching of Spanish as a heritage language made by these professionals, the book then describes current instructional practices used in the teaching of Spanish as an academic subject at the high school and university levels to “heritage” language students who, although educated entirely in English, acquired Spanish at home as their first language. The suggestions made by the Professionals concentrated almost exclusively on Spanish language maintenance (e.g., making cultural/historical connections; showing relevance and significance of language to students’ lives, teaching other subjects in Spanish, teaching legal, medical, business terms in Spanish). The study of goals currently guiding instruction for heritage speakers of Spanish at both the high school and the college levels, on the other hand, raise questions about the potential contribution of educational institutions to the maintenance and retention of Spanish among the current Spanish-speaking population of California.

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This new volume makes an invaluable contribution at theoretical, pedagogical and practical levels to better understanding heritage language education.

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This extremely well-written, well-documented, and highly focused anthology provides the reader with a comprehensive, up-to-date set of essays on the most important issues related to the development of minority language resources in California with regard to Spanish. This volume belongs in the personal library of any professional interested in bilingual education and bilingualism.

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In general, Valdés et al. offer a very informative and detailed account of the socio-political situation of Spanish in California. Particularly interesting is the rich historical context they provide to help readers grasp the complexity of US language ideology and policy as it relates to current anti-Spanish sentiment in certain segments of the American population. The book succeeds admirably in raising awareness about the importance and urgency of maintaining Spanish and other heritage languages in the USA.

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Developing Minority Language Resources makes a valuable contribution, not only to the ongoing discussion about bilingualism and the pedagogy of foreign language instruction, but also to the national conversation about the role of immigrants in American society. It will be of good use to many readers in many disciplines.