This study examined how different groups of Spanish-English bilinguals—heritage speakers, L1-English L2-Spanish learners, and L1-Spanish L2-English bilinguals—judge inalienable possession constructions in Spanish. The results show that all three bilingual groups most consistently rated the canonical (clitic + definite determiner) form as acceptable, while hybrid and English-like forms were judged more variably—especially by heritage and L2 Spanish speakers, who were more flexible than the L1-Spanish group. Across all participants, variables like Spanish proficiency, dominance, and language exposure correlated with acceptability, but subgroup analyses showed these effects were not uniform: many correlations disappeared or shifted when groups were analyzed separately, revealing distinct within-group patterns, particularly among heritage speakers. These results suggest that bilingual type crucially shapes how language background factors influence judgments of inalienable possession, underscoring the importance of analyzing bilingual groups separately rather than assuming a single bilingual profile.
Acquiring inalienable possession in Spanish: A study of heritage and L2 bilinguals
Bryan Koronkiewicz 