Structured variation, language experience, and crosslinguistic influence shape child heritage speakers’ Spanish direct objects

Abstract This study investigates child heritage speakers’ Spanish direct objects. A task designed to elicit objects was completed in and English by 40 speakers of the U.S., 24 monolingual children Mexico. Both participant groups varied their object forms, following same ranking: clitics>lexical NPs>omission>doubling. Animate referents promoted clitics; inanimate lexical NPs. Among speakers, more experience proficiency predicted clitic use (less omission NP use). We also argue that production strong pronouns, NPs, masculine lo with feminine suggest influence. The underscores importance examining structured variation, which revealed both similarities differences between speakers.