Heritage Languages: Extending Variationist Approaches

Naomi Nagy

doi:10.1017/9781108983624

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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Contents

Heritage Languages
pp i-ii
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Heritage Languages - Title page
pp iii-iii
Extending Variationist Approaches
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Copyright page
pp iv-iv
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Epigraph
pp v-vi
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Contents
pp vii-xii
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Figures
pp xiii-xiv
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Tables
pp xv-xvii
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Acknowledgements
pp xviii-xxi
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Abbreviations
pp xxii-xxiv
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1 - What Are Heritage Languages and Why Should We Study Them?
pp 1-19
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2 - Experimental and Variationist Research on Heritage Languages
pp 20-28
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3 - The Toronto Context
pp 29-36
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4 - HLVC Methods and Tools
pp 37-91
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5 - Cross-Variety Comparisons
pp 92-158
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6 - Cross-Language Comparisons
pp 159-166
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7 - Heritage Cantonese
pp 167-191
A Case Study
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8 - Indexicality in Heritage Languages
pp 192-205
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9 - Working with Heritage Languages in Linguistics Classes
pp 206-241
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10 - What Heritage Language Speakers Tell Us about Language Variation and Change
pp 242-254
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Bibliography
pp 255-282
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Index
pp 283-293
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Heritage Languages

Extending Variationist Approaches

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Contents

Heritage Languages
pp i-ii

Heritage Languages - Title page
pp iii-iii

Copyright page
pp iv-iv

Epigraph
pp v-vi

Contents
pp vii-xii

Figures
pp xiii-xiv

Tables
pp xv-xvii

Acknowledgements
pp xviii-xxi

Abbreviations
pp xxii-xxiv

1 - What Are Heritage Languages and Why Should We Study Them?
pp 1-19

2 - Experimental and Variationist Research on Heritage Languages
pp 20-28

3 - The Toronto Context
pp 29-36

4 - HLVC Methods and Tools
pp 37-91

5 - Cross-Variety Comparisons
pp 92-158

6 - Cross-Language Comparisons
pp 159-166

7 - Heritage Cantonese
pp 167-191

8 - Indexicality in Heritage Languages
pp 192-205

9 - Working with Heritage Languages in Linguistics Classes
pp 206-241

10 - What Heritage Language Speakers Tell Us about Language Variation and Change
pp 242-254

Bibliography
pp 255-282

Index
pp 283-293

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Heritage Languages

Extending Variationist Approaches

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