The Interplay Between Cultural Heritage and Syntactic Evolution : A Cross-Generational Analysis of Language Shift in Multilingual Societies

Kamsinah Kamsinah; Nurasia Natsir; Aisyah Aulia Putri

doi:10.62951/ijer.v2i2.258

Authors

Kamsinah Kamsinah Universitas Hasanuddin
Nurasia Natsir Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Administasi YAPPI Makassar
Aisyah Aulia Putri Universitas Hasanuddin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62951/ijer.v2i2.258

Keywords:

Cultural heritage, Heritage language maintenance, Language shift, Multilingualism, Syntactic evolution

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between cultural heritage and syntactic evolution in multilingual societies, focusing on cross-generational language transmission. Employing a mixed-methods approach, it analyzes linguistic practices, cultural narratives, and syntactic patterns across three generational cohorts in five distinct multilingual communities. Findings reveal significant generational shifts, with elders preserving traditional syntax linked to cultural rituals, while younger cohorts exhibit syntactic simplifications and hybrid constructions influenced by dominant languages. Statistical analyses underscore the role of cultural practices in shaping linguistic patterns, highlighting the dynamic interplay between heritage preservation and linguistic innovation in contexts of societal bilingualism and intercultural interaction. The research demonstrates that syntactic changes correlate strongly with the frequency and depth of cultural engagement, with participants who actively participate in traditional practices showing greater retention of heritage language syntactic features. Furthermore, we identify specific linguistic mechanisms through which cultural transmission influences syntactic maintenance and innovation, including ritualized speech patterns, narrative structures, and metaphorical expressions embedded in cultural practices. This study contributes to theoretical understandings of language change by proposing a cultural-syntactic framework that helps explain the variable trajectories of heritage languages in diverse multilingual contexts.

References

A. C. Zentella and R. Torres Cacoullos, "Cultural factors in syntactic change: A comparative study of Spanish-English bilingual communities," Language in Society, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 583-608, 2021.

A. Jaffe and S. Walton, "Cultural practices and language ideology in multilingual contexts: Case studies from Mediterranean islands," Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, vol. 31, no. 3, pp. 318-340, 2021.

C. Silva-Corvalán and J. Treffers-Daller, "Syntactic complexity in heritage languages: The role of cultural practices in language maintenance," Studies in Second Language Acquisition, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 312-338, 2023.

D. Zhang and D. T. Slaughter-Defoe, "The role of grandparents in heritage language maintenance: Effects on syntactic development," Child Development, vol. 93, no. 2, pp. 456-473, 2022.

E. Zyzik and D. Pascual y Cabo, "Heritage language pedagogy and syntactic development: Classroom strategies for preserving cultural connections," Modern Language Journal, vol. 106, no. 1, pp. 189-207, 2022.

G. Valdés and R. A. Figueroa, "Heritage language maintenance: The influence of cultural practices on syntactic complexity," Heritage Language Journal, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 172-194, 2022.

G. Yilmaz and M. S. Schmid, "The impact of cultural integration on syntactic attrition in Turkish immigrants," Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 347-368, 2022.

H. Zhu and W. Li, "Transnational multilingual families: Language choice, cultural identity, and syntactic development," Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 251-270, 2023.

J. L. Baker and M. T. Sánchez, "Cultural narratives and linguistic identity: A cross-generational study of indigenous language revitalization efforts," International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 615-632, 2021.

J. Lee and S. J. Shin, "Family language policy and its effect on syntactic development in Korean-English bilingual children," International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 852-871, 2021.

J. M. Dewaele and L. Wei, "Attitudes toward code-switching in multilingual communities: Implications for language maintenance," Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 464-481, 2021.

J. Rothman and J. Treffers-Daller, "Linguistic transfer and cultural identity in multilingual communities: A cross-generational study," International Journal of Bilingualism, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 782-803, 2021.

K. F. Wong and Y. Xiao, "Cultural transmission and syntactic attrition in Chinese heritage speakers: A three-generation study," Journal of East Asian Linguistics, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 78-103, 2023.

K. Kondo-Brown and J. D. Brown, "Heritage language maintenance and syntactic competence: A longitudinal study of Japanese-American communities," International Journal of Bilingualism, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 147-165, 2022.

L. Isurin and T. Ivanova-Sullivan, "Generational differences in syntactic processing among Russian heritage speakers," Heritage Language Journal, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 25-47, 2022.

M. Haspelmath and U. Tadmor, "Loanwords in heritage contexts: The influence of dominant languages on syntactic structures," Linguistics, vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 342-371, 2023.

M. Polinsky and G. Scontras, "Experimental approaches to heritage language syntax: Methods and findings," Language Learning, vol. 73, no. 1, pp. 35-62, 2023.

N. Evans and S. C. Levinson, "The cultural roots of syntax: How ritual practices shape grammatical structures in endangered languages," Current Anthropology, vol. 63, no. 2, pp. 201-225, 2022.

O. García and W. Li, "Translanguaging and cultural transmission: The case of multilingual families in urban settings," International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 541-559, 2021.

R. Otheguy and A. C. Zentella, "Syntactic convergence and divergence in Spanish-English bilingualism: A three-generation study in New York City," Language Variation and Change, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 167-190, 2021.

R. Qi and J. Legault, "Cultural identity and syntactic processing in heritage Chinese speakers: An ERP study," Brain and Language, vol. 174, pp. 119-134, 2022.

S. A. Tagliamonte and A. D'Arcy, "Generational differences in syntactic variation: A comparative sociolinguistic study," Language Variation and Change, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 67-89, 2022.

S. Ahn and L. Campbell, "Intergenerational transmission of heritage languages: Patterns and practices in diaspora communities," Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 187-203, 2022.

S. Montrul and M. Polinsky, "Incomplete acquisition and attrition of syntax in heritage languages: A cross-linguistic perspective," Studies in Second Language Acquisition, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 123-148, 2023.

S. Unsworth and A. Hulk, "Cross-linguistic influence in bilingual syntactic development: The role of language dominance and cultural context," Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 693-712, 2021.

S. Zhao and Y. Liu, "Digital media and heritage language syntax: Examining the effects of online language practices on syntactic competence," Language Learning & Technology, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 112-134, 2021.

T. D. Nguyen and H. Hammarström, "Cultural preservation and syntactic evolution in Southeast Asian multilingual communities," Journal of Linguistic Geography, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 34-56, 2022.

V. Fernández-Mallat and J. E. Hernández, "Syntactic variation and change in Spanish-English bilingual communities: A three-generation perspective," Journal of Sociolinguistics, vol. 26, no. 1, pp. 45-67, 2022.

X. Chen and H. K. Yoon, "Syntactic simplification in heritage speakers: A comparative analysis across three generations of Korean Americans," Applied Linguistics, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 78-97, 2023.

X. Wang and W. Li, "Translanguaging and cultural identity: The syntactic consequences of dual language development," International Journal of Bilingualism, vol. 25, no. 4, pp. 957-975, 2021.