Modeling Heritage Language Phonetics and Phonology: Toward an Integrated Multilingual Sound System

David Natvig

doi:10.3390/languages6040209

David Natvig

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/languages6040209

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Abstract

Although heritage language phonology is often argued to be fairly stable, heritage language speakers often sound noticeably different from both monolinguals and second-language learners. In order to model these types of asymmetries, I propose a theoretical framework—an integrated multilingual sound system—based on modular representations of an integrated set of phonological contrasts. An examination of general findings in laryngeal (voicing, aspiration, etc.) phonetics and phonology for heritage languages shows that procedures for pronouncing phonemes are variable and plastic, even if abstract may representations remain stable. Furthermore, an integrated multilingual sound system predicts that use of one language may require a subset of the available representations, which illuminates the mechanisms that underlie phonological transfer, attrition, and acquisition.

Highlights

Heritage language (HL) sound patterns are strikingly heterogeneous and often prone to gradient changes over the lifespan (Chang 2019a; de Leeuw and Celata 2019)
Since Benmamoun et al (2013) heritage languages have been thrust into serious theoretical investigation and at that time, work on HL sound systems lagged behind morphosyntactic analyses
By In highlighting the gains made in understanding HL and bilingual phonetics and phonology, I show that consolidating these and similar findings into an integrated multilingual sound system provides a viable framework for modeling HL phonetic and phonological patterns

Summary

Introduction

Heritage language (HL) sound patterns are strikingly heterogeneous and often prone to gradient changes over the lifespan (Chang 2019a; de Leeuw and Celata 2019). They typically reflect the maintenance of core phonological systems Considerable work remains to fully integrate those findings into core phonological theorizing. By In highlighting the gains made in understanding HL and bilingual phonetics and phonology, I show that consolidating these and similar findings into an integrated multilingual sound system provides a viable framework for modeling HL phonetic and phonological patterns. I evaluate what phonetic variation does and does not (necessarily) tell us about HL phonology and outline how this theorizing provides clear questions to pursue to mutually deepen our understanding of phonology, multilingualism, and heritage languages

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Discussion

Conclusion