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612-822-4611
Heritage Languages

Heritage Languages

Hardcover

Linguistics

ISBN10: 1316518221
ISBN13: 9781316518229
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: Jun 27 2024
Pages: 318
Weight: 1.40
Height: 0.88 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
Heritage language speakers often feel discouraged from using their heritage language because they are told they do not speak it well. This book offsets such views by investigating heritage language variation and change across generations in eight languages spoken in Toronto. It introduces new methodology to help readers understand and apply variationist sociolinguistic approaches to quantitatively analyze spontaneous speech. This approach, based on a corpus of 400+ speakers, shows that variation and change across the grammar of heritage languages resemble the patterns in hegemonic majority languages, contrasting with the simplification/attrition patterns in experimental heritage language studies. Chapters compare patterns across generations, across languages, across ten variables in Cantonese, and between indexical and non-indexical patterns. Heritage language speakers are quoted, showing that this research increases heritage language usage and pride. Providing a tool for language revitalization, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in learning about and/or conducting research on heritage languages.

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Linguistics