ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an introduction to differentiated teaching (DT) for instructors of Spanish in heritage language (HL) classes as well as in mixed classes, i.e. classes that enroll HL learners (HLLs) and second language learners (L2Ls). By way of making the case for a differentiated approach, the first section will examine the shortcomings of one-size-fits-all teaching in classes that enroll HLLs. The overarching principles and strategies of DT will be presented thereafter, followed by a discussion of their application to HL and mixed classes. Eight tools of DT are then detailed and, finally, formative assessment, a key component of DT, is discussed.
