Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CODE-V (Capacity, Opportunity, and Desire in Heritage Language Variation (CODE-V))
Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-08-31
The CODE-V project (“Capacity, Opportunity and Desire in Heritage Language Variation”) addresses a critical gap in our understanding of how heritage languages develop and change across generations. Heritage language bilingualism is an emerging field that explores the experiences of individuals who acquire a minority language at home while simultaneously learning the dominant societal language through schooling and social interaction. Over time, these speakers often become more proficient in the majority language, and their heritage language may undergo structural changes compared to the baseline variety spoken in the country of origin.
The project focuses on Turkish heritage speakers in Norway and monolingual Turkish speakers in Turkey, examining how different dimensions of language input—both in quality and quantity—shape heritage language development. Special attention is given to the role of community centres as key sociocultural contexts for language use and maintenance. By integrating experimental evidence with sociocultural factors, CODE-V aims to uncover not only how heritage languages diverge from their monolingual baselines, but also why these differences arise.
The overall objectives of CODE-V are:
To investigate the interplay between input conditions, cross-linguistic influence, and individual variation in heritage language development.
To assess the impact of input quality, particularly through community engagement, on linguistic competence and maintenance.
To compare the real-time processing of grammatical cues (such as case marking, word order, and prosody) in monolingual and heritage speakers, using both offline and online experimental methods.
To explore developmental and individual differences by including both children and adults in the study.
To contribute to European priorities on cultural diversity and inclusion by providing evidence-based insights for educators, policymakers, and immigrant families.
Through this comprehensive approach, CODE-V advances scientific understanding of multilingualism and informs strategies for sustaining heritage languages in diverse societies.
The project focuses on Turkish heritage speakers in Norway and monolingual Turkish speakers in Turkey, examining how different dimensions of language input—both in quality and quantity—shape heritage language development. Special attention is given to the role of community centres as key sociocultural contexts for language use and maintenance. By integrating experimental evidence with sociocultural factors, CODE-V aims to uncover not only how heritage languages diverge from their monolingual baselines, but also why these differences arise.
The overall objectives of CODE-V are:
To investigate the interplay between input conditions, cross-linguistic influence, and individual variation in heritage language development.
To assess the impact of input quality, particularly through community engagement, on linguistic competence and maintenance.
To compare the real-time processing of grammatical cues (such as case marking, word order, and prosody) in monolingual and heritage speakers, using both offline and online experimental methods.
To explore developmental and individual differences by including both children and adults in the study.
To contribute to European priorities on cultural diversity and inclusion by providing evidence-based insights for educators, policymakers, and immigrant families.
Through this comprehensive approach, CODE-V advances scientific understanding of multilingualism and informs strategies for sustaining heritage languages in diverse societies.
Over the course of the CODE-V project, a comprehensive research programme was implemented to investigate heritage language development among Turkish speakers in Norway and Turkey. The work began with a thorough preparation phase, including obtaining ethical approvals, selecting and adapting background questionnaires, and developing experimental materials and visual stimuli in collaboration with a professional animator. Pilot studies with monolingual participants were conducted to refine the experimental design.
Data collection was carried out in both Turkey and Norway, resulting in a robust sample of monolingual and heritage speakers, both adults and children. While the use of an online experimental platform enabled remote participation, data from child participants were collected in person to ensure reliability. All procedures adhered to ethical standards, including informed consent and GDPR-compliant data handling. Minor challenges in recruiting heritage adults were successfully overcome through extended outreach and collaboration with community centres.
Advanced statistical modelling techniques were applied to both offline and online (eye-tracking) data, focusing on how speakers process grammatical cues such as case marking, word order, and prosody. The analyses revealed important developmental and cross-linguistic patterns in heritage language processing. While most tasks were completed as planned, one analysis task was postponed and will be addressed in future work.
Dissemination activities exceeded expectations, with findings presented at numerous international conferences and workshops. Several manuscripts are in preparation or have been submitted to leading journals, and outreach activities were conducted at community centres in Oslo, East London, and Stockholm.
Training and career development were integral to the project, with regular meetings, seminars, and workshops contributing to professional growth. The fellow completed training in experimental platforms and open science practices, and participated in a Norwegian language course to facilitate community engagement.
Project management was strengthened through regular meetings with the supervisor and advisory board, careful planning and budgeting, and the recruitment and coordination of collaborators across multiple countries.
All major deliverables and milestones were achieved, and the project has made significant contributions to scientific understanding, educational practice, and policy relevant to heritage language maintenance and multilingualism.
Data collection was carried out in both Turkey and Norway, resulting in a robust sample of monolingual and heritage speakers, both adults and children. While the use of an online experimental platform enabled remote participation, data from child participants were collected in person to ensure reliability. All procedures adhered to ethical standards, including informed consent and GDPR-compliant data handling. Minor challenges in recruiting heritage adults were successfully overcome through extended outreach and collaboration with community centres.
Advanced statistical modelling techniques were applied to both offline and online (eye-tracking) data, focusing on how speakers process grammatical cues such as case marking, word order, and prosody. The analyses revealed important developmental and cross-linguistic patterns in heritage language processing. While most tasks were completed as planned, one analysis task was postponed and will be addressed in future work.
Dissemination activities exceeded expectations, with findings presented at numerous international conferences and workshops. Several manuscripts are in preparation or have been submitted to leading journals, and outreach activities were conducted at community centres in Oslo, East London, and Stockholm.
Training and career development were integral to the project, with regular meetings, seminars, and workshops contributing to professional growth. The fellow completed training in experimental platforms and open science practices, and participated in a Norwegian language course to facilitate community engagement.
Project management was strengthened through regular meetings with the supervisor and advisory board, careful planning and budgeting, and the recruitment and coordination of collaborators across multiple countries.
All major deliverables and milestones were achieved, and the project has made significant contributions to scientific understanding, educational practice, and policy relevant to heritage language maintenance and multilingualism.
The CODE-V project has delivered several results that advance the state of the art in heritage language research and multilingualism studies:
Novel Insights into Heritage Language Processing:
The project provided the first comprehensive analysis of how Turkish heritage speakers in Norway process grammatical cues such as case marking, word order, and prosody in real time, using both offline and online (eye-tracking) methods. The findings revealed that heritage children, while proficient in producing canonical sentence structures, rely more on word order and less on case marking and prosody during comprehension—demonstrating clear cross-linguistic influence from Norwegian. These results offer new evidence for adaptive cue weighting in bilingual grammars and contribute to theoretical models such as the Competition Model.
Integration of Sociocultural Context:
By examining the role of community centres as sociocultural spaces for language use, the project highlighted the importance of input quality—not just quantity—in heritage language maintenance. This perspective moves beyond previous research and provides actionable insights for educators and policymakers.
Methodological Innovation:
The use of advanced statistical modelling (GLMMs, GAMMs) and the integration of online experimental platforms enabled robust, scalable data collection and analysis. The project also implemented open science practices, including pre-registration and plans for public data sharing, setting a standard for transparency and reproducibility in the field.
Societal and Policy Impact:
The results inform heritage language pedagogy and policy by emphasising the need for high-quality input and community engagement. The project’s findings are directly relevant to curriculum design, teacher training, and community-based language programmes, supporting European priorities on cultural diversity and inclusion.
Capacity Building and Future Uptake:
The project has built capacity for further research by training early-career researchers, developing new experimental materials, and establishing international collaborations. To ensure further uptake and success, continued research is recommended, particularly longitudinal studies and broader cross-linguistic comparisons. Wider dissemination through open access publications, community workshops, and policy briefs will support the translation of findings into practice.
Potential for Broader Impact:
The project’s approach and findings have relevance beyond Turkish heritage speakers, offering a model for studying other heritage language communities in Europe and globally. The integration of experimental, sociocultural, and policy perspectives positions CODE-V as a reference point for future research and policy development in multilingualism.
Novel Insights into Heritage Language Processing:
The project provided the first comprehensive analysis of how Turkish heritage speakers in Norway process grammatical cues such as case marking, word order, and prosody in real time, using both offline and online (eye-tracking) methods. The findings revealed that heritage children, while proficient in producing canonical sentence structures, rely more on word order and less on case marking and prosody during comprehension—demonstrating clear cross-linguistic influence from Norwegian. These results offer new evidence for adaptive cue weighting in bilingual grammars and contribute to theoretical models such as the Competition Model.
Integration of Sociocultural Context:
By examining the role of community centres as sociocultural spaces for language use, the project highlighted the importance of input quality—not just quantity—in heritage language maintenance. This perspective moves beyond previous research and provides actionable insights for educators and policymakers.
Methodological Innovation:
The use of advanced statistical modelling (GLMMs, GAMMs) and the integration of online experimental platforms enabled robust, scalable data collection and analysis. The project also implemented open science practices, including pre-registration and plans for public data sharing, setting a standard for transparency and reproducibility in the field.
Societal and Policy Impact:
The results inform heritage language pedagogy and policy by emphasising the need for high-quality input and community engagement. The project’s findings are directly relevant to curriculum design, teacher training, and community-based language programmes, supporting European priorities on cultural diversity and inclusion.
Capacity Building and Future Uptake:
The project has built capacity for further research by training early-career researchers, developing new experimental materials, and establishing international collaborations. To ensure further uptake and success, continued research is recommended, particularly longitudinal studies and broader cross-linguistic comparisons. Wider dissemination through open access publications, community workshops, and policy briefs will support the translation of findings into practice.
Potential for Broader Impact:
The project’s approach and findings have relevance beyond Turkish heritage speakers, offering a model for studying other heritage language communities in Europe and globally. The integration of experimental, sociocultural, and policy perspectives positions CODE-V as a reference point for future research and policy development in multilingualism.