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Cited by 9Language Development and DisordersMultilingual Education and PolicySpanish Linguistics and Language Studies

Structured variation in child heritage speakers' grammars

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Shin, Naomi·2022·Language and Linguistics Compass
DOI 10.1111/lnc3.12480
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Abstract

Research on heritage language development in children can profit greatly by incorporating insights from analyses of structured variation , which is defined as the interchange of linguistic forms where the choice to use one form over the other is probabilistically conditioned by linguistic and social factors. This article reviews the limited research on bilingual children's structured variation, focussing specifically on child heritage speakers of Spanish. It is argued that careful attention to structured variation advances our understanding of heritage language development in childhood and can help us move beyond a deficit view of bilingualism.

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  • One characteristic of speakers of heritage Spanish is variation in gender agreement.

    “One of the characteristics of speakers of heritage Spanish is variation in gender agreement (Shin, 2022;Montrul & Potowski, 2007).”

    From Sounds Like Politics: Cardi B and the Discourse of Español Ratatá (2026) · cites this paper as Shin, 2022

    Section 3.2.2 reports variable gender mismatches in child heritage speakers of Spanish, including differences by noun gender and agreement form. The claim applies this characteristic to heritage Spanish speakers generally, while the cited discussion is specifically about children. (LLM, conf=0.78)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Shin, N.
Affiliations
University of New Mexico (US)
Corresponding author
Shin, Naomi
ORCID
Shin, Naomi
Venue
Language and Linguistics Compass
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2022-12
Volume
16
Issue
12
ISSN
1749-818X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1111/lnc3.12480
OpenAlex
W4311058539
Cited by
9
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 1
FWCI
3.05
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
Language and Linguistics Compass (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
  • Social Sciences › Linguistics and Language › Multilingual Education and Policy
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Spanish Linguistics and Language Studies
Keywords
Spanish as a heritage language, bilingual children

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