Project 3:
Exploring the role of the lexicon on HL grammars
The first project started as a collaboration between Dr. Mike Putnam (Penn State University) and Dr. Liliana Sánchez (UIC), and was focused on proposing a model that could account for the gradient nature of HL grammars.
You can read our paper here.
The second project is a collaboration with Dr. David Giancaspro (University of Richmond) that expands our previous individual work on examining the factors modulating intra-speaker variability among heritage speakers.
There are several sub-projects related to this complex data set:
A. Effects of morphological (ir)regularity on HSs' production of subjunctive mood.
B. Effects of frequency on HSs' production of verbal morphology (mood, tense...)
C. Comprehension/Production asymmetries and the role of morphological regularity in modulating variability across domains.
A. Morphological regularity as the trigger of intra-speaker variability among HSs [see article here]
Previous research indicates that heritage speakers (HSs) of Spanish produce both subjunctive and indicative mood in expected subjunctive contexts. The present study sheds new light on this pattern by testing the effects of morphological regularity on HSs’ mood production in volitional contexts, where Spanish-dominant speakers (e.g., first-generation immigrants) use almost exclusively subjunctive forms. Results of an elicited production task, completed by 42 HSs and 10 first-generation controls, reveal that HSs differentiate between the two moods. Despite this sensitivity, HSs also exhibit variability, which is strongly conditioned by regularity. Whereas HSs produce subjunctive forms almost categorically with irregular verbs, their subjunctive production with regular verbs is more variable, a pattern we link to irregular verbs’ higher relative lexical autonomy and perceptual salience. Instead of classifying HSs’ morphological knowledge in binary terms, we argue for the importance of exploring how variability with mood is shaped by the morphological characteristics of individual lexical items.
B.1. Theorizing about the effects of frequency on HL grammars [see article here]
In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in exploring frequency as a source of variability in heritage speakers’ (HSs) knowledge of their heritage language (HL). While many of these studies acknowledge that frequency can affect the shape of HL grammars, there is still no clear consensus about (a) what “frequency” means in the context of HL acquisition and (b) how to operationalize its multiple subtypes. In this paper, we provide a critical overview of frequency effects in HL research and their relevance for understanding patterns of inter/intra-speaker variability. To do so, we outline how prior research has defined, measured, and tested frequency, and present—as well as evaluate—novel methodological approaches and innovations recently implemented in the study of frequency effects, including a new analysis of how self-reported lexical frequency reliably predicts HSs’ production of subjunctive mood in Spanish. Our aim is to highlight the immense potential of such work for addressing long-standing questions about HL grammars and to propose new lines of inquiry that will open up additional pathways for understanding HL variability.
B.2. Documenting innovation and intergenerational language change in the Spanish spoken in NJ
Over the past twenty years, prevailing economic and political challenges have led millions of Central Americans to emigrate to the US, making them one of the fastest growing groups of immigrants arriving to the country. Among them, those of Guatemalan origin have experimented one of the largest increases, growing from 400,000 in 2000 to over 1.8 million in 2021. While their presence in New Jersey has also increased exponentially, reaching over 12% in 2021, settlements from members of this group are far from recent. A case in point is the Guatemalan community in Trenton, NJ, established during the late seventies and accounting for almost 20% of the city’s population. Despite the high numbers of Central Americans in our region, we know very little about the characteristics of their Spanish, including the impact of long-term contact with English –which often leads to language change– or the status of intergenerational heritage language transmission. The purpose of this study is to investigate these issues by examining the Spanish of first and second generation Guatemalans living in the city of Trenton (N=60). Data from this project will provide invaluable information about how Spanish is maintained and transformed after immigration and long-term settlements abroad. Furthermore, it will shine a light on an underrepresented Latino community that has played an important role in the economy of our state. The study is the product of an ongoing collaboration between faculty members from Rutgers University, Camden and the University of Richmond. While the focus of this project is linguistic, the sociolinguistic interviews collected during the pilot as well as our long-term engagement with (and commitment to) the community is likely to open the possibility of collaborating with scholars in the field of sociology and anthropology from our campuses. Future plans to expand the study and increase its impact and reach include seeking external sources of funding to recruit additional first and second generation participants from Central American communities in different locations around Central and South Jersey
You can read our paper here.
The second project is a collaboration with Dr. David Giancaspro (University of Richmond) that expands our previous individual work on examining the factors modulating intra-speaker variability among heritage speakers.
There are several sub-projects related to this complex data set:
A. Effects of morphological (ir)regularity on HSs' production of subjunctive mood.
B. Effects of frequency on HSs' production of verbal morphology (mood, tense...)
C. Comprehension/Production asymmetries and the role of morphological regularity in modulating variability across domains.
A. Morphological regularity as the trigger of intra-speaker variability among HSs [see article here]
Previous research indicates that heritage speakers (HSs) of Spanish produce both subjunctive and indicative mood in expected subjunctive contexts. The present study sheds new light on this pattern by testing the effects of morphological regularity on HSs’ mood production in volitional contexts, where Spanish-dominant speakers (e.g., first-generation immigrants) use almost exclusively subjunctive forms. Results of an elicited production task, completed by 42 HSs and 10 first-generation controls, reveal that HSs differentiate between the two moods. Despite this sensitivity, HSs also exhibit variability, which is strongly conditioned by regularity. Whereas HSs produce subjunctive forms almost categorically with irregular verbs, their subjunctive production with regular verbs is more variable, a pattern we link to irregular verbs’ higher relative lexical autonomy and perceptual salience. Instead of classifying HSs’ morphological knowledge in binary terms, we argue for the importance of exploring how variability with mood is shaped by the morphological characteristics of individual lexical items.
B.1. Theorizing about the effects of frequency on HL grammars [see article here]
In recent years, researchers have become increasingly interested in exploring frequency as a source of variability in heritage speakers’ (HSs) knowledge of their heritage language (HL). While many of these studies acknowledge that frequency can affect the shape of HL grammars, there is still no clear consensus about (a) what “frequency” means in the context of HL acquisition and (b) how to operationalize its multiple subtypes. In this paper, we provide a critical overview of frequency effects in HL research and their relevance for understanding patterns of inter/intra-speaker variability. To do so, we outline how prior research has defined, measured, and tested frequency, and present—as well as evaluate—novel methodological approaches and innovations recently implemented in the study of frequency effects, including a new analysis of how self-reported lexical frequency reliably predicts HSs’ production of subjunctive mood in Spanish. Our aim is to highlight the immense potential of such work for addressing long-standing questions about HL grammars and to propose new lines of inquiry that will open up additional pathways for understanding HL variability.
B.2. Documenting innovation and intergenerational language change in the Spanish spoken in NJ
Over the past twenty years, prevailing economic and political challenges have led millions of Central Americans to emigrate to the US, making them one of the fastest growing groups of immigrants arriving to the country. Among them, those of Guatemalan origin have experimented one of the largest increases, growing from 400,000 in 2000 to over 1.8 million in 2021. While their presence in New Jersey has also increased exponentially, reaching over 12% in 2021, settlements from members of this group are far from recent. A case in point is the Guatemalan community in Trenton, NJ, established during the late seventies and accounting for almost 20% of the city’s population. Despite the high numbers of Central Americans in our region, we know very little about the characteristics of their Spanish, including the impact of long-term contact with English –which often leads to language change– or the status of intergenerational heritage language transmission. The purpose of this study is to investigate these issues by examining the Spanish of first and second generation Guatemalans living in the city of Trenton (N=60). Data from this project will provide invaluable information about how Spanish is maintained and transformed after immigration and long-term settlements abroad. Furthermore, it will shine a light on an underrepresented Latino community that has played an important role in the economy of our state. The study is the product of an ongoing collaboration between faculty members from Rutgers University, Camden and the University of Richmond. While the focus of this project is linguistic, the sociolinguistic interviews collected during the pilot as well as our long-term engagement with (and commitment to) the community is likely to open the possibility of collaborating with scholars in the field of sociology and anthropology from our campuses. Future plans to expand the study and increase its impact and reach include seeking external sources of funding to recruit additional first and second generation participants from Central American communities in different locations around Central and South Jersey