Joining the dots: native language change and intergenerational transmission in bilingual speakers

Part of the SOAS Linguistics Research Seminar Series 2025-26

Speaker: Antonella Sorace

Abstract

Recent research on bilingualism with heritage languages points to three interesting directions. 

1. The native language (L1) of first-generation migrant speakers changes in a selective and potentially reversible way, which is not always due to cross-linguistic influence from the second language (L2). L1 changes affect structures that require efficient integration of information across (syntactic, pragmatic and contextual) domains and (partly) depend on the interaction of linguistic knowledge and cognitive control; the result is increased selective variation.
2. We see a convergence between L1 changes and L2 acquisition: the aspects of L1 grammar that become variable are the same that remain variable even in highly proficient L2 speakers of the same language. These findings point to a potential ecology of L2 learning and L1 change: L1 change is a natural effect of language contact, in bilingual individuals and in bilingual communities, and may be functional to the attainment of L2 proficiency.
3. Language change in first-generation speakers has an impact on intergenerational transmission: child bilingualism in heritage languages necessarily relies on parental/adult input affected by these changes, with both short-term and long-term consequences. Understanding the big picture – and preserving linguistic diversity over time - requires a better understanding of the bilingual experience, and interdisciplinary research on different aspects of bilingualism that combines the insights of linguistic, cognitive and social models. 

The seminar will also explore what the information centre Bilingualism Matters does in the UK and through its international network to bridge the gap between research and society, and how public engagement of researchers can contribute to a more insightful understanding of the bilingual experience at different ages.

Speaker

Antonella Sorace is Professor of Developmental Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh and Honorary Professor at University College London. She is a Fellow of the British Academy and founding director of the non-profit organisation Bilingualism Matters.