Patterns of approximation: Writing practices of heritage Spanish-speaking pre-service teachers in Texas and how this can help in preparation for the bilingual target language proficiency test

Abstract

This article explores the orthographic and diacritical patterns in the writing of Heritage Spanish Speaking pre-service teachers whose K-12 schooling occurred in Texas. After a brief explanation of the bilingual teacher shortage and certification requirements in Texas, data gathered from 2022–2024 is presented and interpreted through the lens of the Bilingual Target Language Proficiency Test (BTLPT), an important state exam that individuals must pass to become certified as bilingual teachers. Prior research demonstrates that many test takers who do not pass the BTLPT the first time continue trying unsuccessfully (Arroyo-Romano, 2016), which is a dilemma in a state that needs bilingual teachers. Findings from this research reveal five important areas in which bilingual pre-service teachers’ writing can be expanded to not just successfully meet the requirements of the BTLPT, but to augment their own linguistic repertoires as lifelong learners. These areas include diacritics (accent marks), word boundaries, morphosyntactic agreement, approximate spelling, and language transfer from English to Spanish writing. The categories are suggested as areas of curricular/pedagogical focus for K-12 bilingual education/dual language program as well as for researchers in bilingual education or applied linguistics. More imminently, however, this information is valuable as a point of consideration for bilingual educator preparation programs helping future Heritage Spanish-Speaking Pre-Service Teachers become bilingual educators in Texas.