ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews existing studies on pragmatics and Spanish heritage speakers (HSs) and proposes new avenues for research in this area. First, we examine studies that have considered heritage speakers’ realization of speech acts, use of bilingual discourse markers, and other elements of their pragmatic repertoire and practices. We then examine the fundamental concepts to be considered in research on pragmatics and heritage speakers, including the role of language contact, the native speaker norm, and best practices in heritage language pedagogy. Finally, we consider what types of pragmatic instruction are valuable for HSs and how to integrate pragmatics teaching into curricula for HSs and mixed HS/L2 classes. The chapter concludes with a discussion of work that is still needed to understand better the pragmatic practices of Spanish HSs and the role of pragmatics instruction in heritage language education.
