Native speakers, interrupted : differential object marking and language change in heritage languages / Silvina Montrul.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Montrul, Silvina, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bilingualism--United States.

Bilingualism.

Heritage language speakers--United States.

Heritage language speakers.

Linguistic change--United States.

Linguistic change.

Spanish language--Direct object.

Spanish language.

Spanish language--Morphosyntax.

Hindustani language--Direct object.

Hindustani language.

Hindustani language--Morphosyntax.

Romanian language--Direct object.

Romanian language.

Romanian language--Morphosyntax.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxii, 324 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom : New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2023.

Summary:

A heritage language is the term given to a language spoken at home by bilingual children of immigrant parents. Written by a leading figure in the field, this pioneering, in-depth study brings together three heritage languages - Hindu, Spanish and Romanian - spoken in the United States. It demonstrates how heritage speakers drive morphosyntactic change when certain environmental characteristics are met, and considers the relationship between social and cognitive factors and timing in language acquisition, bilingualism, and language change. It also discusses the implications of the findings for the language education of heritage speakers in the USA and considers how the heritage language can be maintained in the English-speaking school system. Advancing our understanding of heritage language development and change, this book is essential reading for students and researchers of linguistics and multilingualism, immigration, education studies and language policy, as well as educators and policy makers.

Contents:

On heritage speakers as native speakers

Structural changes in heritage language grammars

Differential object marking

Language change and the acquisition of differential object marking

The vulnerability of differential object marking in three heritage languages

Differential object marking in Spanish as a heritage language

Differential object marking in Hindi as a heritage language

Differential object marking and clitic doubling in Romanian as a heritage language

Comparing the three heritage languages

Intergenerational transmission

Implications.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 15 Dec 2022).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-009-30207-8

1-009-30208-6

1-316-45969-1