Language dominance affects auditory translation priming in heritage speakers

2021 ◽  
Vol 150 (4) ◽  
pp. A44-A44
Author(s):  
Rachel Soo ◽  
Philip J. Monahan
Keyword(s):  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Translation Priming

scholarly journals Language dominance affects auditory translation priming in heritage speakers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Soo ◽  
Philip J. Monahan
Keyword(s):  
Lexical Processing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
Primary Factor ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Translation Priming ◽  
Priming Paradigm ◽  
L2 Learners

Late second language (L2) learners show translation priming from the first language to the second (L1-L2), while L2-L1 effects are inconsistent. Typically, late L2 learners are both less dominant in the L2 and acquire the L2 after the L1, making the relative contribution of language dominance and order of acquisition in these results unclear. Here, Cantonese heritage and native speakers are tested in an auditory translation priming paradigm. As heritage speakers first learn Cantonese (L1) but later become more dominant in English (L2), this profile allows for the potential dissociation of dominance and order of acquisition in translation priming. If order of acquisition is the primary factor, stronger priming is expected to occur in the L1-L2 (Cantonese-English) direction; however, if dominance plays a stronger role, priming is expected to occur in the L2-L1 (English-Cantonese) direction. Native speakers showed stronger L1-L2 priming, consistent with previous findings, while heritage speakers showed priming in both directions, but stronger L2-L1 priming. The current results suggest that language dominance is a primary factor in explaining auditory translation priming results and that order of acquisition also plays a role in bilingual lexical processing.

The production of geminates in Italian-dominant bilinguals and heritage speakers of Italian

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-203
Author(s):  
Marieke Einfeldt ◽  
Joost van de Weijer ◽  
Tanja Kupisch
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Phonemic Status

Abstract This study examines cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in adult Italian-German bilinguals based on the production of gemination, a phenomenon that exists in Italian but not in German. We analyzed the spontaneous Italian speech of two groups of Italian-German bilinguals (heritage speakers of Italian and Italian-dominant bilinguals) and a monolingual Italian control group. The results show that the geminates produced by the speakers in both bilingual groups were longer than their singletons. From this it seems that gemination is not affected by CLI. Based on our results, we discuss whether CLI is determined by (1) markedness, (2) frequency of Italian input during acquisition, (3) language dominance or (4) relevance (e.g. phonemic status), concluding that the latter is most crucial.

Code Mixing as a Window into Language Dominance: Evidence from Korean Heritage Speakers

2017 ◽  
pp. 49-69
Author(s):  
Sunny Park-Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Choice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Children Of Immigrants ◽  
Interaction Data ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Monthly Basis ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Code Mixing ◽  
Play Interaction

It is well-documented that children of immigrants often undergo language dominance shift as a result of increased exposure to the mainstream language of their environment (Bialystok, 2001; Portes & Schauffler, 1994; Ro & Cheatham, 2009). One of the ways in which this shift can manifest in natural speech is through language choice and, in particular, intrasentential code mixing. This article investigates the shift in language dominance through a longitudinal study of four young Korean heritage speakers living in the United States. Spontaneous play interaction data was collected on a monthly basis across a two-year span following the children’s entrance into English-medium schools in order to investigate the shift of dominance. In observing the children’s use of Korean, English, and Korean-English code-mixed utterances over time, it was expected that the amount of Korean utterances would decrease, while the amount of English and code-mixed utterances would increase due to the shift of language dominance. Findings revealed that while use of Korean decreased and use of English increased, the amount utterances containing code mixing remained stable across time for all children. The article argues that code mixing is not an indicator of weakened language proficiency.

scholarly journals Transfer into L3 English

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Lloyd-Smith ◽  
Henrik Gyllstad ◽  
Tanja Kupisch
Keyword(s):  
Native Speaker ◽  
Age Of Acquisition ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
L3 Acquisition ◽  
L1 English

Abstract This study is concerned with L3 acquisition in heritage speakers (HSs). The goals are to incorporate HSs into L3 acquisition research and investigate the role of language dominance for predicting L3 transfer. We analyze global accent in German-Turkish early bilinguals, HSs of Turkish, who acquired English as their L3. Twenty native-speaker judges determined accent strength and accent source in the speech of 18 bilinguals as well as 15 controls (L1 English, L1 German, L1 Turkish) when speaking English. Results show, firstly, that bilinguals are perceived as less accented than L1 Turkish speakers and similar to L1 German speakers. Secondly, unlike L1 controls, there is no uniform accent source for HSs when speaking their L3. Our results question the role of age of acquisition, while being generally consistent with the TPM. However, HSs seem to benefit from bilingual experience and structure-based transfer can be overpowered by high proficiency.

scholarly journals How Many Collocations do Heritage Speakers Know?

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eve Zyzik
Keyword(s):  
Spanish Text ◽  
Word Frequency ◽  
Recognition Test ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Music Reading ◽  
Lexical Knowledge ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Individual Variables

The current study examines a previously understudied dimension of heritage speakers’ lexical knowledge by focusing on verbal collocations. Two tests were designed in order to assess both receptive (recognition) and productive (recall) knowledge of sixty Spanish collocations. The collocations were divided into three types (congruent, partially congruent, and incongruent) based on a ratings survey that established their degree of correspondence with English. Participants’ language dominance and their use of Spanish in various daily activities were included as individual variables. The results indicate that the participants knew a vast majority of the collocations on the recognition test, but that their ability to recall the collocations was somewhat more limited. Congruency had a significant effect on participants’ performance, but this finding must be interpreted in light of the interaction between congruency and word frequency. Significant correlations were found between performance on both tests and language dominance, as well as a number of variables involving interaction in Spanish (text messaging) and exposure (listening to music, reading for fun). These data are discussed in relation to previous studies on the acquisition of collocations and heritage speakers’ knowledge of individual words.

scholarly journals Adjective ordering in Arabic: Post-nominal structure and subjectivity-based preferences

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 419
Author(s):  
Zeinab Kachakeche ◽  
Gregory Scontras
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Arabic Speakers ◽  
Nominal Structure ◽  
Big Box ◽  
English Speaking

Adults have a collective tendency to choose certain adjective orderings in nominals with multiple adjectives. For example, English-speaking adults prefer the order big blue box over blue big box; they are uncomfortable with the latter ordering, yet they are unable to articulate why. Scontras, Degen & Goodman (2017) showed that subjectivity is a robust predictor of adjective ordering preferences in English. That is, less subjective adjectives are preferred closer to the noun. In the example big blue box, big is more subjective than blue, so it is preferred farther from the noun. This paper investigates adjective ordering preferences in Arabic, a language with post-nominal adjectives (i.e., a language where adjectives occur after the noun they modify). We have found that native speakers of Arabic have adjective ordering preferences, and, like English, these preferences are predicted by subjectivity. In addition to establishing the preference baseline in monolingually-raised Arabic speakers, we also ask what happens to ordering preferences in heritage speakers: bilinguals who shifted their language dominance from Arabic to English early in childhood.

scholarly journals French as a Heritage Language in Germany

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Johanna Stahnke ◽  
Laia Arnaus Gil ◽  
Natascha Müller
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Heritage Language ◽  
Language Shift ◽  
Heritage Speakers ◽  
Language Dominance ◽  
Current State ◽  
State Of Research ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Incomplete Acquisition

Research on child heritage speakers (HSs) has shown successful language acquisition, comparable to monolinguals, whereas research on adult HSs often claims incomplete acquisition. This seems to be an evident contradiction in the current state of research, which may be explained by a possible language shift during adolescence or adulthood, but which does not necessarily have to be equated with a lack of competence. In an overview of the existing studies on child and adult HSs of French in Germany, we show that HSs are not incomplete acquirers of French and we suggest theoretical and practical implications following these findings. Our aim is to show, first, that HSs of French in Germany are not unanimously disadvantaged compared with French speakers in countries where French is a majority language, and second, that complete acquisition is independent of language dominance, a notion that has received particular attention in studies on multilingual and HL acquisition.

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