The National Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language (NSSHL) is a scholarly forum that brings together researchers working on and advanced educational and research on Spanish heritage bilingualism in the United States.
The 13th National Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language (NSSHL) will be hosted by Texas Tech University from Thursday, February 19 to Saturday, February 21, 2026. The symposium will be held as an IN-PERSON event, except for presentation proposals submitted under the Special Call for Proposals (see below).
We invite submissions for oral presentations (20 minutes plus 10 minutes for discussions), panels, workshops, and posters. Abstracts must be submitted anonymously and should not exceed 250 words, excluding references. Please indicate whether you would like your abstract to be considered for an oral presentation or a poster. Abstracts may be written in either Spanish, English or Spanglish. Each author may submit a maximum of one individual, and one group abstract.
We welcome proposals on a wide range of topics related to the study of Spanish as a heritage language, including but not limited to:
This year, the 13th NSSHL also invites submissions focused on the state of Spanish as a heritage language outside the United States. When submitting your abstract, please indicate whether you plan to deliver your presentation in person or online. Due to logistical constraints, these presentations will be accessible to in-person attendees only. In-person presentations, including keynote talks, will not be streamed or made available to online participants.
Please note that there will be no registration fee for online presenters RESIDING OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES. This special call for papers is aimed at researchers who are not based in the U.S. and may encounter challenges in traveling here, as this is an IN-PERSON event.
All proposals must be submitted through the conference’s online submission portal by October 17, 2025 (11:59 pm CST). Notification of acceptance will be sent in early December. Please submit your proposal via https://easyabs.linguistlist.org/conference/13th_NSSHL/
Registration fee is $60 for faculty and attendants and $30 for graduate students, and includes full access to sessions, reception and conference meals and refreshments. Please note that there will be no registration fee for online presenters outside of the United States.
All presenters and attendants should register by January 23rd, 2026.
To complete the payment, please use the QR code provided under the Registration tab.
NSSHL will present a Best Poster Award, open to all attendees presenting a poster. The award will be granted on the clarity of the presentation and the scientific significance of the research. Additionally, all NSSHL participants are encouraged to submit their work to a Special Issue on Bilingualism in the Hispanic and Lusophone World, to be published in the Spanish as a Heritage Language Journal.
Please email your questions to 13nsshl2026@gmail.com
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