Tenth Heritage Language Research Institute

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The state of the science in heritage language phonology

As switched-dominance bilinguals, heritage speakers provide a unique opportunity to examine the role of language use vs. age of acquisition in bilingual language outcomes. In this talk, I will review research investigating these variables in relation to the phonetics and phonology of heritage speakers’ language systems, including the most recent findings on the heritage language, the dominant language, and their interaction. A recurring theme throughout this literature is that heritage speakers tend to show a phonological advantage over late second-language learners, while diverging from native norms in various ways. This suggests that, even in the case of early-acquired aspects of speech perception and production, reduced contact with the heritage language over time may have a significant effect on this language system, which systematic re-exposure to, and/or relearning of, the heritage language may help to reverse.