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From Migrant to Heritage Languages: Transgenerational Language Change in Diasporic...
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From Migrant to Heritage Languages: Transgenerational Language Change in Diasporic Communities

A special issue of Languages (ISSN 2226-471X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2025) | Viewed by 6066

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vladislava Warditz

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Guest Editor
Department of Slavonic Studies, University of Cologne, 50923 Köln, Germany
Interests: language contact and multilingualism; migrant and heritage languages studies; field work and corpus linguistics; language change and archaic language structures; sociolinguistics and variationist linguistics; syntax of causative constructions
Prof. Dr. Bernd Heine

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of African Studies and Egyptology, University of Cologne, 50937 Köln, Germany
Interests: Africa and issues of general linguistic theory; languages in contact; language variation and change; language evolution
Prof. Dr. Paul Widmer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Comparative Language Science, Universität Zürich, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
Interests: diachronic linguistics; morphosyntax; Iranian; Tocharian; Celtic; Vedic; Hittite; comparative linguistics; languages in contact

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue focuses on language evolution in migrant diasporic communities across generations. Although migrant vs heritage languages have been intensively described during the last few decades, this research topic has been studied in detail. This Special Issue plans to fill this gap. The continuum of migrant vs heritage languages is a well-represented social and linguistic phenomenon worldwide, cf. Russian, Polish, Turkish, and Arabic in Germany, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese in the USA, and a multifaceted tapestry of migrant languages in Israel. Thereby, this diasporic continuum represents diverse contact combinations of typologically different languages that undergo transgenerational evolution. Within the proposed Special Issue, we aim to discuss transgenerational language shifts and changes in migrant vs heritage languages across the world. In addition, we want to address the processes of migrant languages’ evolution in a broader context of contact-induced language change (e.g., minority languages, historical dialects, pidgins and creoles). Thereby, we aspire to bridge the gap between different theoretical frameworks dealing with language change in multilingual settings, e.g., linguistic typology, studies on pidgin and creole languages, and theory of language evolution in general. Furthermore, we want to contribute to the (hardly represented) comparative research of migrant vs heritage languages.

We request, prior to submitting a manuscript, that the interested authors first submit a proposed title and an abstract of 250–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors, Dr. Vladislava Warditz (), Prof. Dr. Bernd Heine (), and Prof. Dr. Paul Widmer () by December 15, 2024. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purpose of ensuring their proper fit within the purview of the Special Issue. Notification of abstract acceptance will be given by January 15, 2025. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

Dr. Vladislava Warditz
Prof. Dr. Bernd Heine
Prof. Dr. Paul Widmer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • language evolution
  • multilingualism
  • language contact
  • transgenerational language shift and language change
  • migrant heritage languages

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1010 KB  
Article
Language Use and Attitudes Among Ukrainian Refugees in Canada: Do They Differ by Participants’ Age?
by Veronika Makarova and Yuliia Hryshyna
Languages 2025, 10(12), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10120292 - 29 Nov 2025
Viewed by 191
Abstract
The language use of Ukrainian war refugees has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide due to the unprecedented number of individuals displaced since the onset of the war in 2022. Earlier studies have documented a shift in language use and attitudes in Ukraine, [...] Read more.
The language use of Ukrainian war refugees has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide due to the unprecedented number of individuals displaced since the onset of the war in 2022. Earlier studies have documented a shift in language use and attitudes in Ukraine, marked by a diminished role for Russian and increased prominence of Ukrainian both within the country and among Ukrainian émigré communities abroad. However, the role of age in this process has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Moreover, research on the specific characteristics of language shift and social integration among Ukrainian refugees in Canada is still insufficient. This article reports the results of a study aimed at examining how home languages shift and the use of the official languages among Ukrainian refugees in Canada may vary by age. The vresearch employed a mixed-methods approach, based on a survey (65 participants). In this research, quantitative data were drawn from the closed-ended survey questions, and open-ended questions were employed to illustrate quantitative results for more depth and insight. The results indicate that there are no significant differences in L1 and L2 or L3 by age in this sample. The study confirms a language shift from Ukrainian-Russian bilingualism in Ukraine to Ukrainian dominance, which does not differ by age or age group. What does differ by age and generation is the proficiency in English, English use, and the perceived difficulty in learning English, whereby younger participants reported higher proficiency in English, its higher use in daily communication, and less difficulty acquiring it, as compared to their older peers. While the findings align with previous research on language use among immigrants—including the impact of age—they offer new insights into the experiences of refugees, highlighting how different age groups respond to social pressures in migration. A further contribution of this study lies in addressing the language shift from the perspectives of both younger and older refugees and establishing that the language shift in Ukraine swept across all ages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Migrant to Heritage Languages: Transgenerational Language Change in Diasporic Communities)
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32 pages, 30971 KB  
Article
When Language Maintenance Means Language Shift: Tibetan as an Heritage Language in Amdo Families in France
by Camille Simon
Languages 2025, 10(11), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10110271 - 26 Oct 2025
Viewed by 906
Abstract
This paper explores the initial steps of transgenerational language change in exile by comparing the varieties of “Common” Tibetan as spoken by parents born in Amdo, Tibet, and by their teenager children, born in Tibet or in South Asia, who arrived in France [...] Read more.
This paper explores the initial steps of transgenerational language change in exile by comparing the varieties of “Common” Tibetan as spoken by parents born in Amdo, Tibet, and by their teenager children, born in Tibet or in South Asia, who arrived in France at an early age and who have spent all or most of their schooling in France. In these families, the parents speak a variety of Amdo Tibetan as their first language, which does not allow for inter-comprehension with “Common” Tibetan. They have acquired “Common” Tibetan during their stay in South Asia before they moved to France. The paper follows a descriptive approach to analyze the structural (dis)similarities between the parents’ and the children’s varieties of “Common” Tibetan. It also documents intra-generational variation (1) within the parents’ generation, where we can observe a variable extent of retention for Amdo Tibetic features, and (2) within the children’s generation, where variation is usually due more to the (often contact-induced) linguistic changes than to the retention of some of their parents’ linguistic features. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Migrant to Heritage Languages: Transgenerational Language Change in Diasporic Communities)
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44 pages, 882 KB  
Article
A Comparative Perspective on Language Shift and Language Change: Norwegian and German Heritage Varieties in North America
by Alexander K. Lykke and Maike H. Rocker
Languages 2025, 10(10), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10100256 - 30 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1351
Abstract
This study evaluates the relationship between language shift and linguistic change in multigenerational immigrant communities, focusing on North American Norwegian (NAmNo) and German heritage varieties. The research synthesizes current findings on how language shift impacts linguistic structures in moribund heritage varieties. Methods include [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the relationship between language shift and linguistic change in multigenerational immigrant communities, focusing on North American Norwegian (NAmNo) and German heritage varieties. The research synthesizes current findings on how language shift impacts linguistic structures in moribund heritage varieties. Methods include a qualitative review of diachronic studies, comparing data from different periods to assess changes in tense morphology, language mixing, compositional definiteness, possessive placement, verb placement, argument placement, and phoneme variation. Results indicate that the last generation of heritage speakers demonstrates increased linguistic innovation and variation compared to earlier generations. Key findings show that language shift leads to different input quality and quantity, affecting grammatical stability. The study concludes that sociocultural changes, such as verticalization and domain-specific language use, significantly influence heritage language maintenance and loss. These insights contribute to understanding the dynamics of language shift and its role in heritage language change, offering valuable comparative perspectives across different immigrant communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Migrant to Heritage Languages: Transgenerational Language Change in Diasporic Communities)
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34 pages, 1060 KB  
Article
The Dynamics of Russian Language Maintenance in the U.S.-Based Russophone Diaspora: Conflicted Heritage, Resilience, and Persistence
by Irina Dubinina, Izolda Savenkova, Angelina Rubina and Olesya Kisselev
Languages 2025, 10(10), 252; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages10100252 - 29 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1727
Abstract
This study examines intergenerational transmission of Russian within the U.S. Russophone diaspora in the wake of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It addresses: (1) parents’ motivations and practices surrounding intergenerational language transmission; and (2) challenges faced by Russian-speaking families in today’s shifting [...] Read more.
This study examines intergenerational transmission of Russian within the U.S. Russophone diaspora in the wake of Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It addresses: (1) parents’ motivations and practices surrounding intergenerational language transmission; and (2) challenges faced by Russian-speaking families in today’s shifting sociopolitical landscape. The study draws on semi-structured Zoom interviews with 16 Russian-speaking parents in the United States, each raising children aged 3–15 and representing four different immigration periods, from the early 1990s to 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Findings reveal that heritage language maintenance is shaped not only by linguistic choices, but also by political and ethical considerations. While all parents continue to view Russian as a source of identity, cultural capital, and familial cohesion, many also actively disassociate the language from its sociopolitical ties to the aggressor state. Shared aspirations for bilingualism are tempered by internal and external pressures, including children’s growing agency, family dynamics, challenges of immigrant life, and war-driven fractures within the diaspora. This study contributes to research on heritage language maintenance and family language policies by exploring how global geopolitical events are negotiated through intimate, everyday language practices in immigrant households. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Migrant to Heritage Languages: Transgenerational Language Change in Diasporic Communities)
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