Preface

Introduction

1 - On Heritage Speakers as Native Speakers -- 1.1 Who Is a Native Speaker? -- 1.2 Variability in Monolingually Raised Native Speakers -- 1.3 Bilingual and Multilingual Native Speakers -- 1.4 Multilingual Native Speakers and Language Change -- 1.5 Summary

2 - Structural Changes in Heritage Language Grammars -- 2.1 The Structure of Heritage Language Grammars -- 2.2 Sources of Variability in Heritage Language Grammars -- 2.3 Intergenerational Transmission -- 2.4 Summary

3 - Differential Object Marking -- 3.1 The Phenomenon -- 3.2 Syntactic Analysis -- 3.3 A Note on Dative Subjects -- 3.4 Summary

4 - Language Change and the Acquisition of Differential Object Marking -- 4.1 Language Acquisition and Language Change -- 4.2 Differential Object Marking in Monolingual Acquisition -- 4.3 Differential Object Marking in Second Language Acquisition -- 4.4 Differential Object Marking in Early Bilingualism and Heritage Languages -- 4.5 Summary

5 - The Vulnerability of Differential Object Marking in Three Heritage Languages -- 5.1 Research Questions and Hypotheses -- 5.2 Methodology -- 5.3 Procedure -- 5.4 Data Processing and Analyses -- 5.5 Summary

6 - Differential Object Marking in Spanish as a Heritage Language -- 6.1 The Spanish-Speaking Population in the United States -- 6.2 Participants -- 6.3 Resultats of the Linguistic Tasks -- 6.3 Summary

7 - Differential Object Marking in Hindi as a Heritage Language -- 7.1 The Hindi/Urdu-Speaking Population in the United States -- 7.2 Participants -- 7.3 Results of the LInguistic Tasks -- 7.4 Summary

8 - Differential Object Marking and Clitic Doubling in Romanian as a Heritage Language -- 8.1 The Romanian-Speaking Population in the United States -- 8.2 Participants -- 8.3 Results of the Linguistic Tasks -- 8.4 Summary

9 - Comparing the Three Heritage Languages -- 9.1 The Heritage Speakers -- 9.2 The First-Generation Immigrants -- 9.3 Language Change in US Spanish? -- 9.4 Linguistic Factors -- 9.5 Situational Factors -- 9.6 Language Structure, Social Structure, and Language Change -- 9.7 Summary

10 - Intergenerational Transmission -- 10.1 Input and Structural Changes -- 10.2 Timing of Acquisition and of Attrition -- 10.3 How Heritage Speakers May Change Their Language -- 10.4 Directionality of Linguistic Influence -- 10.5 Summary

Implications Linguistic Theory -- Language Change -- Education and Language Policies

"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 – Hindi, 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."

« Une langue patrimoniale est le terme donné à une langue parlée à la maison par des enfants bilingues de parents immigrants. Rédigée par une figure de proue dans ce domaine, cette étude pionnière et approfondie réunit trois langues patrimoniales – l’hindi, l’espagnol et le roumain – parlées aux États-Unis. Il démontre comment les locuteurs du patrimoine entraînent un changement morphosyntaxique lorsque certaines caractéristiques environnementales sont respectées et tient compte de la relation entre les facteurs sociaux et cognitifs et le moment de l’acquisition du langage, du bilinguisme et du changement linguistique. Il examine également les implications des résultats pour l’enseignement de la langue des locuteurs du patrimoine aux États-Unis et examine comment la langue du patrimoine peut être maintenue dans le système scolaire anglophone. Faisant progresser notre compréhension du développement et du changement du langage patrimonial, ce livre est une lecture essentielle pour les étudiants et les chercheurs en linguistique et multilinguisme, en immigration, en éducation et en politique linguistique, ainsi que pour les éducateurs et les décideurs. »