1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism
  4. Online First Articles
  5. Online First Article
image of The Mandarin ba-construction in school-age heritage speakers and their parental input
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

Abstract

Abstract

Recent research has identified language development in school-age heritage children as an important yet missing link between child early bilinguals and adult heritage speakers. This study investigates the Mandarin -construction ([(NP1)--NP2-VP]) through elicited narration among heritage Mandarin children ( = 27, aged 4–14) and their parents ( = 18) in the UK. The results showed considerable similarities between the children and their parents in a number of key structural properties of the -construction. However, the children produced the -construction with reduced frequency and in a “heritage variety” with a reduced set of nominal and verbal phrases in NP2 and VP, which is not attested in a group of age-matched Mandarin speakers in Beijing. Additionally, higher frequency of the -construction in the heritage children’s production is associated with greater lexical diversity, rather than higher frequency of the -construction, in their parental input. We lay out positive aspects of the heritage variety of the -construction in sustaining the heritage language in bilingual contexts and consider the different roles of structural frequency and lexical diversity in parental input in maintaining the heritage grammar in late childhood and adolescence.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/lab.18025.mai
2021-02-18
2021-05-10

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/lab.18025.mai
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Ambridge, B. , Kidd, E. , Rowland, C. F. , & Theakston, A. L.
    (2015) The ubiquity of frequency effects in first language acquisition. Journal of Child language, 42(2), 239–273. 10.1017/S030500091400049X
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S030500091400049X [Google Scholar]
  2. Benmamoun, E. , Montrul, S. , & Polinsky, M.
    (2013) Heritage languages and their speakers: Opportunities and challenges for linguistics. Theoretical Linguistics, 39(3–4), 129–181.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Berman, R. A. & Slobin, D. I.
    (1994) Relating events in narrative: A crosslinguistic developmental study. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Chen, L. & Guo, J.
    (2010) From language structures to language use: A case from Mandarin motion expression classification. Chinese Language and Discourse, 1(1), 31–65. 10.1075/cld.1.1.02che
     https://doi.org/10.1075/cld.1.1.02che [Google Scholar]
  5. Chen, L. & Lei, J.
    (2012) The production of referring expressions in oral narratives of Chinese-English bilingual speakers and monolingual peers. Child Language Teaching and Therapy, 29(1) 41–55. 10.1177/0265659012459527
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0265659012459527 [Google Scholar]
  6. Cheng, L. L. S. , & Sybesma, R.
    (1999) Bare and not-so-bare nouns and the structure of NP. Linguistic inquiry, 30(4), 509–542. 10.1162/002438999554192
     https://doi.org/10.1162/002438999554192 [Google Scholar]
  7. Covington, M. A. , & McFall, J. D.
    (2010) Cutting the Gordian knot: The moving-average type–token ratio (MATTR). Journal of quantitative linguistics, 17(2), 94–100. 10.1080/09296171003643098
     https://doi.org/10.1080/09296171003643098 [Google Scholar]
  8. Cui, X., & Zhao, L. X.
    (forthcoming). An event structure analysis of ba-constructions.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. De Houwer, A.
    (2014) The absolute frequency of maternal input to bilingual and monolingual children. In J. Paradis & T. Grüter (Eds.), Input and experience in bilingual development (pp.37–58). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Deng, X. , Mai, Z. & Yip, V.
    (2018) An aspectual account of ba and bei constructions in child Mandarin. First Language, 38(3). pp.243–262. 10.1177/0142723717743363
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0142723717743363 [Google Scholar]
  11. Duursma, E. , Romero-Contreras, S. , Szuber, A. , Proctor, P. , Snow, C. , August, D. , & Calderón, M.
    (2007) The role of home literacy and language environment on bilinguals’ English and Spanish vocabulary development. Applied Psycholinguistics, 28(1), 171–190. 10.1017/S0142716406070093
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716406070093 [Google Scholar]
  12. Flores, C.
    (2012) Differential effects of language attrition in the domains of verb placement and object expression. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 15(3), 550–567. 10.1017/S1366728911000666
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728911000666 [Google Scholar]
  13. Flores, C. , Santos, A. L. , Jesus, A. , & Marques, R.
    (2017) Age and input effects in the acquisition of mood in Heritage Portuguese. Journal of Child Language, 44(4), 795–828. 10.1017/S0305000916000222
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000916000222 [Google Scholar]
  14. Huang, C. T. J. , Li, Y. H. A. , & Li, Y.
    (2009) The Syntax of Chinese. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9781139166935
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139166935 [Google Scholar]
  15. Huttenlocher, J. , Waterfall, H. , Vasilyeva, M. , Vevea, J. , & Hedges, L. V.
    (2010) Sources of variability in children’s language growth. Cognitive Psychology, 61(4), 343–365. 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2010.08.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2010.08.002 [Google Scholar]
  16. Jia, R. & Paradis, J.
    (2015) The use of referring expressions in narratives by Mandarin heritage language children and the role of language environment factors in predicting individual differences. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 18(4), 737–752. 10.1017/S1366728914000728
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728914000728 [Google Scholar]
  17. Jia, R. , & Paradis, J.
    (2020) The acquisition of relative clauses by Mandarin heritage language children. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 10(2), 153–183. 10.1075/lab.16015.jia
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.16015.jia [Google Scholar]
  18. Kupisch, T.
    (2019) 2L1 Simultaneous bilinguals as heritage speakers. In M. Schmid & B. Köpke (Eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Language Attrition (pp.458–469). Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Kupisch, T. , & Rothman, J.
    (2018) Terminology matters! Why difference is not incompleteness and how early child bilinguals are heritage speakers. International Journal of Bilingualism, 22(5), 564–582. 10.1177/1367006916654355
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006916654355 [Google Scholar]
  20. Li, Y. H. A.
    (2017) Chinese ba . In M. Everaert , & H. C. Van Riemsdijk (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell companion to syntax (2nd edition), (pp.1–72). John Wiley. 10.1002/9781118358733.wbsyncom036
     https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118358733.wbsyncom036 [Google Scholar]
  21. Liu, F. H.
    (1997) An aspectual analysis of ba . Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 6(1), 51–99. 10.1023/A:1008287920948
     https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008287920948 [Google Scholar]
  22. Lyons, C.
    (1999) Definiteness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/CBO9780511605789
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511605789 [Google Scholar]
  23. MacWhinney, B.
    (2000) The CHILDES Project: Tools for Analyzing Talk. 3rd Edition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Mai, Z. & Yip, V.
    (2015) Causative ba-construction in heritage, second language and native Chinese grammars. Paper presented at the12th conference of Generative Approaches to Language Acquisition (GALA 12), September 10–12, University of Nantes, Nantes, France.
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Mai, Z. , & Deng, X.
    (2019) Selective vulnerability and dominant language transfer in the acquisition of the Chinese cleft construction by heritage speakers. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 9(2), 202–227. 10.1075/lab.16040.mai
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.16040.mai [Google Scholar]
  26. Mai, Z. , Kwan, C. Y. , & Yip, V.
    (2018) Expressing displacement in heritage Cantonese: Cross-linguistic influence and structural vulnerability. International Journal of Bilingualism, 22(6), 603–618. 10.1177/1367006916681084
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006916681084 [Google Scholar]
  27. Mai, Z. , Matthews, S. & Yip, V.
    (in prep). Heritage Chinese in English contexts: The Child Heritage Chinese Corpus.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Mayer, M.
    (1969) Frog, where are you?New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. (1974) Frog goes to dinner. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Meisel, J.
    (2007) On autonomous syntactic development in multiple first language acquisition. In H. Caunt-Nulton , S. Kulatilake , & I. Woo (Eds.), 31st BUCLD Proceedings (pp.26–45). Somerville: Cascadilla Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Montrul, S.
    (2018) Heritage language development: Connecting the dots. International Journal of Bilingualism, 22(5), 530–546. 10.1177/1367006916654368
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006916654368 [Google Scholar]
  32. Montrul, S. , & Ionin, T.
    (2010) Transfer effects in the interpretation of definite articles by Spanish heritage speakers. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 13(4), 449–473. 10.1017/S1366728910000040
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728910000040 [Google Scholar]
  33. Montrul, S. , & Sánchez-Walker, N.
    (2013) Differential object marking in child and adult Spanish heritage speakers. Language Acquisition, 20(2), 109–132. 10.1080/10489223.2013.766741
     https://doi.org/10.1080/10489223.2013.766741 [Google Scholar]
  34. Montrul, S. , Bhatt, R. , & Girju, R.
    (2015) Differential object marking in Spanish, Hindi, and Romanian as heritage languages. Language, 91(3), 564–610. 10.1353/lan.2015.0035
     https://doi.org/10.1353/lan.2015.0035 [Google Scholar]
  35. Muysken, P.
    (2013) Language contact outcomes as the result of bilingual optimization strategies. Bilingualism: Language and cognition, 16(4), 709–730. 10.1017/S1366728912000727
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728912000727 [Google Scholar]
  36. Paradis, J. & Navarro, S.
    (2003) Subject realization and crosslinguistic interference in the bilingual acquisition of Spanish and English. Journal of Child Language, 30, 371–393. 10.1017/S0305000903005609
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000903005609 [Google Scholar]
  37. Paradis, J. , & Grüter, T.
    (2014) Introduction to “Input and experience in bilingual development”. In J. Paradis & T. Grüter (Eds.), Input and experience in bilingual development (pp.1–14). Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Pascual y Cabo, D.
    (2020) Examining the role of cross-generational attrition in the development of Spanish as a heritage language: Evidence from gustar-like verbs. Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, 3, 86–108. 10.1075/lab.15057.pas
     https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.15057.pas [Google Scholar]
  39. Paul, W.
    (2015) New perspectives on Chinese syntax. Walter de Gruyter. 10.1515/9783110338775
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110338775 [Google Scholar]
  40. Peyraube, A.
    (1996) Recent issues in Chinese historical syntax. In C.-T. J. Huang & Y.-H. A. Li (Eds.), New horizons in Chinese linguistics (pp.161–213). Springer, Dordrecht. 10.1007/978‑94‑009‑1608‑1_6
     https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1608-1_6 [Google Scholar]
  41. Pires, A. , & Rothman, J.
    (2009) Disentangling sources of incomplete acquisition: An explanation for competence divergence across heritage grammars. International Journal of Bilingualism, 13(2), 211–238. 10.1177/1367006909339806
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006909339806 [Google Scholar]
  42. Polinsky, M.
    (2011) Reanalysis in adult heritage language: new evidence in support of attrition. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 33(2), 305–328. 10.1017/S027226311000077X
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S027226311000077X [Google Scholar]
  43. (2018) Heritage languages and their speakers. Cambridge University Press. 10.1017/9781107252349
     https://doi.org/10.1017/9781107252349 [Google Scholar]
  44. Polinsky, M. , & Scontras, G.
    (2020) Understanding heritage languages. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 23(1), 4–20. 10.1017/S1366728919000245
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S1366728919000245 [Google Scholar]
  45. Polinsky, M. , Zhang, B. , & Gómez Gallo, C.
    (2010) Heritage Chinese: a new view from production. Paper presented atHeritage Language Institute IV, University of California, Los Angeles.
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Rowe, M. L.
    (2012) A longitudinal investigation of the role of quantity and quality of child-directed speech in vocabulary development. Child development, 83(5), 1762–1774. 10.1111/j.1467‑8624.2012.01805.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01805.x [Google Scholar]
  47. Rowe, M. , & Snow, C.
    (2020) Analyzing input quality along three dimensions: Interactive, linguistic, and conceptual. Journal of Child Language, 47(1), 5–21. 10.1017/S0305000919000655
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000919000655 [Google Scholar]
  48. Rowland, C. F. , Pine, J. M. , Lieven, E. V. , & Theakston, A. L.
    (2003) Determinants of acquisition order in wh-questions: Re-evaluating the role of caregiver speech. Journal of Child Language, 30(3), 609–635. 10.1017/S0305000903005695
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000903005695 [Google Scholar]
  49. Silva-Corvalán, C.
    (2003) Linguistic consequences of reduced input in bilingual first language acquisition. In S. Montrul & F. Ordóñez (Eds.), Linguistic theory and language development in Hispanic Languages (pp.375–397). Cascadilla Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Tsao, F.-F.
    (1987) A topic-comment approach to the ba construction. Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 15(1), 1–54.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Unsworth, S.
    (2019) Quantifying language experience in HL development. In M. S. Schmid & B. Köpke (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of language attrition (pp.434–445). Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  52. Yuan, B. , & Zhao, Y.
    (2011) Asymmetric syntactic and thematic reconfigurations in English speakers’ L2 Chinese resultative compound constructions. International journal of bilingualism, 15(1), 38–55. 10.1177/1367006910371023
     https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006910371023 [Google Scholar]
  53. Zhang, N. N.
    (2016) Identifying Chinese dependent clauses in the forms of subjects. Journal of East Asian Linguistics, 25(3), 275–311. 10.1007/s10831‑016‑9146‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s10831-016-9146-5 [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/lab.18025.mai
Loading
The Mandarin ba-construction in school-age heritage speakers and their parental input
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.18025.mai
/content/journals/10.1075/lab.18025.mai
/content/journals/10.1075/lab.18025.mai
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: Mandarin; lexicon; heritage; syntax; input
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error