Linguistic Practices in Heritage Language Acquisition

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to explore and analyze the linguistic practices involved in the acquisition and maintenance of heritage languages (HLs). It delves into the multifaceted aspects of how individuals acquire, use, and preserve their HLs in various sociolinguistic contexts. The focus is on understanding the intricate interplay between linguistic practices and HL development, which occur both in formal and informal settings.

The Special Issue covers a broad range of topics within the domain of HL acquisition and usage. It encompasses studies that investigate:

• Sociolinguistic dynamics (examining the influence of social factors, such as family environment, peer group participation, and community structures, on HL acquisition);
• Language variation and change (analyzing various patterns observed in HLs’ language use, including phonological, morphosyntactic, and lexical features);
• Language maintenance and shift (investigating factors contributing to changes in verbal and socio-cultural behavior in heritage speakers, including generational differences, language attitudes, and language ideologies);
• Pedagogical approaches (assessing effective teaching methodologies and strategies for HL learners in formal and domestic educational settings);
• Bilingualism and multilingualism (exploring the interaction between HLs and other languages in the linguistic repertoire of individuals, including its impact on language practices);
• Identity and HL use (investigating the role of HLs in shaping cultural and linguistic identities, and how this influences language practices);
• Technology and language learning (examining the use of technology such as digital resources and language learning applications in supporting HL acquisition);
• Language policy and planning (addressing the role of governmental and institutional policies in the promotion or suppression of HLs).

This Special Issue seeks to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on HL acquisition by providing new insights into the complex dynamics involved in the acquisition and maintenance of lesser-explored languages. It also aims to explore effective pedagogical approaches facilitating HL acquisition and maintenance. It endeavors to empower HL 

communities by shedding light on tested strategies of language maintenance and revitalization, and by examining the impact of societies’ language policies on HLs. It is the goal of the editors to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration by bringing together scholars from linguistics, education, sociology, anthropology, and related fields to exchange ideas and perspectives on HL acquisition.

The Special Issue will make a significant contribution to the existing literature in the following ways: It will identify and fill gaps in the current body of literature on HL acquisition (Bauckus, Kresin 2019, Montrul 2015, Montrul, Polinsky 2021, Polinsky 2018). By focusing on specific linguistic practices, the Special Issue will provide a more granular understanding of how HLs are acquired and maintained. We will provide a platform for empirical studies and case analyses that present concrete data and examples of linguistic practices in HL acquisition. This empirical foundation will enrich and substantiate theoretical discussions in the field (cf. Brehmer, Mehlhorn 2018, Mehlhorn, Brehmer 2018). By examining the sociolinguistic dynamics influencing HL acquisition, the Special Issue will provide a more nuanced understanding of how social factors shape language practices within HL communities. This complements broader sociolinguistic research (cf. Kresin 2017, Peterson, Sippola 2022, Wiley et al. 2014). The Special Issue will contribute to the study of linguistic variation and change by focusing on specific features within heritage languages (Aalberse et al. 2019). This fine-grained analysis will complement broader studies of language change across communities.

Through the exploration of effective pedagogical approaches, the Special Issue will offer practical insights for educators and language professionals working with HL learners (Brüggemann 2021, Carreira, Kagan 2018, Dubinina 2019). This will bridge the gap between research and classroom practice. By investigating the impact of policies on HLs, the Special Issue will offer recommendations for more inclusive and effective language policies (Kagan et al. 2021, Wiese et al. 2022). This can inform the development of policies that support linguistic diversity. By exploring the role of heritage languages in shaping cultural and linguistic identities, the Special Issue will provide a deeper understanding of how language practices intersect with broader identity formation processes. The Special Issue will also investigate the role of technology in heritage language acquisition, providing insights into how digital resources can be effectively used to support language learning.

References

Aalberse, S., Backus, A., & Muysken, P. (2019). Heritage Languages: A Language Contact Approach. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

Bauckus, S., & Kresin, S. (Eds.) (2018). Connecting across. Languages and Cultures: A Heritage Language Festschrift in Honor of Olga Kagan. Bloomington: Slavica.

Brehmer, B., & Mehlhorn, G. (Hrsg.) (2018). Herkunftssprachen. Tübingen: Narr.

Brehmer, B., & Treffers-Daller, J. (Eds.) (2020). Lost in Transmission: The Role of Attrition and Input in Heritage Language Development. Amsterdam: Benjamins.

Brüggemann, N. (2021) Grundlagen und Prinzipien der Entwicklung eines Curriculums für herkunftssprachliche Lerner. Slavic Language Education, 1, 20–46.

Carreira, M. M., & Kagan, O. (2018). Heritage language education: A proposal for the next fifty years. Foreign Language Annals, 51, 152–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12331.

Colomer, L., & Catalani, A. (2020). Heritage Discourses in Europe: Responding to Migration, Mobility, and Cultural Identities in the Twenty-First Century. York: Arc Humanities Press.

Dubinina, I. (Ed.) (2019). In memory of Olga Kagan. Heritage Language Journal, 16 (2). Special issue.

Ivanova-Sullivan, T. (2014). Theoretical and Experimental Aspects of Syntax-Discourse Interface in Heritage Grammars. Leiden: Brill.

Kagan, O., Carreira, M. M., & Chik, C. H. (Eds.) (2017). The Routledge Handbook of Heritage Language Education: From Innovation to Programme Building. London: Routledge.

Kagan, O., Minkov, M., Protassova, E., Schwartz, M. (2021). What kind of speakers are these? Placing heritage speakers of Russian on a continuum. In: Slavkov, N., Melo-Pfeifer, S. M., & Kerschhofer-Puhalo, N. (Eds.) The Changing Face of the “Native Speaker”: Perspectives from Multilingualism and Globalization (153–176). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Kresin, S. (2017). Slavic and East European language programs and heritage language communities. East/West: Journal of Ukrainian Studies, IV(1), 11–32.

Mehlhorn, G., & Brehmer, B. (Hrsg.) (2018). Potenziale von Herkunftssprachen. Sprachliche und außersprachliche Einflussfaktoren. Tübingen: Stauffenburg.

Montrul, S. (2015). The Acquisition of Heritage Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Montrul, S., & Polinsky, M. (Eds.) (2021). The Cambridge Handbook of Heritage Languages and Linguistics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Peterson, E., & Sippola, E. (2022). Heritage languages in full circle : From the Nordic to the Americas and back again. Bergen Language and Linguistics Studies, 12(2), 1–5.

Polinsky, M. (2018) Heritage Languages and Their Speakers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wiese, H., Alexiadou, A., Allen, S., Bunk, O., Gagarina, N., Iefremenko, K., Martynova, M., Pashkova, T., Rizou, V., Schroeder, C., Shadrova, A., Szucsich, L., Tracy, R., Tsehaye, W., Zerbian, S., & Zuban, Y. (2022). Heritage speakers as part of the native language continuum. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717973.

Wiley, T.G., Peyton, J.K., Christian, D., Moore, S.C.K., & Liu, N. (Eds.) (2014). Handbook of Heritage, Community, and Native American Languages in the United States: Research, Policy, and Educational Practice. New York: Routledge.

Tentative Completion Schedule

Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 October 2023

Notification of Abstract Acceptance: 15 November 2023

Full Manuscript Deadline: 15 April 2024

Dr. Ekaterina Protassova
Dr. Maria Yelenevskaya
Guest Editors

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• diasporic communities
• heritage language acquisition and maintenance
• family language policy
• minority linguistic education
• Baltic languages
• Finno-Ugric languages
• Slavic languages
• German
• Hebrew
• Somalian
• Spanish