Regional language as heritage languages

Aims and objectives: Heritage languages are commonly spoken by immigrants and their children, but they can also be spoken in their own territories when national regional languages and indigenous languages share space with a majority language. This study discusses how the terms heritage language and heritage speakers may apply to situations of stable bilingualism, such as historical minority languages and aboriginal languages. Approach: The study is an argumentative essay or opinion article. Data and analysis: The data are published studies that describe the linguistic knowledge of speakers of minority languages in different territories. Findings/conclusions: In a general sense, the acquisition, ultimate attainment, and intergenerational transmission patterns of immigrant heritage languages and regional minority languages are similar. However, important differences between specific sociopolitical situations, identity, and attitudes toward language use may render the characterization of a particular language as a heritage language in its own territory relative to many individual factors in different regions. Originality: Using Catalan and Basque in Spain, Even and Sakha in Russia, and Irish and Welsh in Ireland and the United Kingdom, we consider whether and how the acquisition of these languages in their territories could be taken as cases of heritage language acquisition at the individual level, similar to immigrant situations. Many of the acquisition processes and outcomes are similar in the two contexts. Significance/implications: This study contributes to debates on how to best characterize and study bilinguals, whose native or home language is a minority language.