BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)

In his update on Basic Language Cognition (BLC), Hulstijn formulates a number of predictions derived from BLC Theory, and explains how BLC differs from Extended Language Cognition (ELC). BLC is used to refer to an individual’s capacity to process spoken language productively and receptively in every...

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Main Author: Jeanine Treffers-Daller
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Languages
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/5/100
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author Jeanine Treffers-Daller
author_facet Jeanine Treffers-Daller
author_sort Jeanine Treffers-Daller
collection DOAJ
description In his update on Basic Language Cognition (BLC), Hulstijn formulates a number of predictions derived from BLC Theory, and explains how BLC differs from Extended Language Cognition (ELC). BLC is used to refer to an individual’s capacity to process spoken language productively and receptively in everyday life, while ELC is defined as control of the written standard language, as taught in school. In the literature on heritage speakers, so far surprisingly little attention has been paid to the differences between BLC and ELC, despite the relevance of the distinction between oral and written language for our understanding of heritage speakers’ language profiles. In this commentary, I argue that BLC Theory can be used to inform studies of heritage languages, and conversely, how insights from heritage languages can be used to develop BLC Theory further. By way of example, I revisit some of the literature on subordination in Turkish as a heritage language. I also point to issues that need to be clarified and future directions in the study of these phenomena.
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spelling doaj-art-91ff395e3b0147d4852b8d2621b7a28a2025-08-20T03:47:54ZengMDPI AGLanguages2226-471X2025-04-0110510010.3390/languages10050100BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)Jeanine Treffers-Daller0Department of English Language & Applied Linguistics, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UKIn his update on Basic Language Cognition (BLC), Hulstijn formulates a number of predictions derived from BLC Theory, and explains how BLC differs from Extended Language Cognition (ELC). BLC is used to refer to an individual’s capacity to process spoken language productively and receptively in everyday life, while ELC is defined as control of the written standard language, as taught in school. In the literature on heritage speakers, so far surprisingly little attention has been paid to the differences between BLC and ELC, despite the relevance of the distinction between oral and written language for our understanding of heritage speakers’ language profiles. In this commentary, I argue that BLC Theory can be used to inform studies of heritage languages, and conversely, how insights from heritage languages can be used to develop BLC Theory further. By way of example, I revisit some of the literature on subordination in Turkish as a heritage language. I also point to issues that need to be clarified and future directions in the study of these phenomena.https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/5/100n/a
spellingShingle Jeanine Treffers-Daller
BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)
Languages
n/a
title BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)
title_full BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)
title_fullStr BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)
title_full_unstemmed BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)
title_short BLC and Subordination in Heritage Speakers—Towards a New Research Agenda: Commentary on Hulstijn (2024)
title_sort blc and subordination in heritage speakers towards a new research agenda commentary on hulstijn 2024
topic n/a
url https://www.mdpi.com/2226-471X/10/5/100
work_keys_str_mv AT jeaninetreffersdaller blcandsubordinationinheritagespeakerstowardsanewresearchagendacommentaryonhulstijn2024