Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory
This paper discusses a common reality in many cases of multilingualism: heritage speakers, or unbalanced bilinguals, simultaneous or sequential, who shifted early in childhood from one language (their heritage language) to their dominant language (the language of their speech community). To demonstr...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-10-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01545/full |
| _version_ | 1818990150429966336 |
|---|---|
| author | Gregory eScontras Zuzanna eFuchs Maria ePolinsky |
| author_facet | Gregory eScontras Zuzanna eFuchs Maria ePolinsky |
| author_sort | Gregory eScontras |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper discusses a common reality in many cases of multilingualism: heritage speakers, or unbalanced bilinguals, simultaneous or sequential, who shifted early in childhood from one language (their heritage language) to their dominant language (the language of their speech community). To demonstrate the relevance of heritage linguistics to the study of linguistic competence more broadly defined, we present a series of case studies on heritage linguistics, documenting some of the deficits and abilities typical of heritage speakers, together with the broader theoretical questions they inform. We consider the reorganization of morphosyntactic feature systems, the reanalysis of atypical argument structure, the attrition of the syntax of relativization, and the simplification of scope interpretations; these phenomena implicate diverging trajectories and outcomes in the development of heritage speakers. The case studies also have practical and methodological implications for the study of multilingualism. We conclude by discussing more general concepts central to linguistic inquiry, in particular, complexity and native speaker competence. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:49:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-76c14cfab6664f80a97ed6f274ab727c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T19:49:48Z |
| publishDate | 2015-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-76c14cfab6664f80a97ed6f274ab727c2022-12-21T19:28:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-10-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.01545165895Heritage Language and Linguistic TheoryGregory eScontras0Zuzanna eFuchs1Maria ePolinsky2Stanford UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard UniversityThis paper discusses a common reality in many cases of multilingualism: heritage speakers, or unbalanced bilinguals, simultaneous or sequential, who shifted early in childhood from one language (their heritage language) to their dominant language (the language of their speech community). To demonstrate the relevance of heritage linguistics to the study of linguistic competence more broadly defined, we present a series of case studies on heritage linguistics, documenting some of the deficits and abilities typical of heritage speakers, together with the broader theoretical questions they inform. We consider the reorganization of morphosyntactic feature systems, the reanalysis of atypical argument structure, the attrition of the syntax of relativization, and the simplification of scope interpretations; these phenomena implicate diverging trajectories and outcomes in the development of heritage speakers. The case studies also have practical and methodological implications for the study of multilingualism. We conclude by discussing more general concepts central to linguistic inquiry, in particular, complexity and native speaker competence.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01545/fullMultilingualismsyntaxsemanticspragmaticsspanishMorphosyntax |
| spellingShingle | Gregory eScontras Zuzanna eFuchs Maria ePolinsky Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory Frontiers in Psychology Multilingualism syntax semantics pragmatics spanish Morphosyntax |
| title | Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory |
| title_full | Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory |
| title_fullStr | Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory |
| title_short | Heritage Language and Linguistic Theory |
| title_sort | heritage language and linguistic theory |
| topic | Multilingualism syntax semantics pragmatics spanish Morphosyntax |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01545/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT gregoryescontras heritagelanguageandlinguistictheory AT zuzannaefuchs heritagelanguageandlinguistictheory AT mariaepolinsky heritagelanguageandlinguistictheory |