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Article published In: Linguistic Approaches to Bilingualism
Vol. 13:2 (2023) ► pp.238–266

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Re-examining the role of mood selection type in Spanish heritage speakers’ subjunctive production

ORCiD logo with link | Rutgers University
Published online: 16 July 2021
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.20111.per
Abstract
Verbal morphology is a particularly vulnerable domain in the grammars of Spanish heritage speakers (HSs). Among the most frequently studied phenomena is mood selection, identified as a pervasive locus of variability that affects the production of subjunctive more prominently. The present article explores this area of research by examining the effects of mood selection type on HSs’ subjunctive use. In contrast with previous studies, this investigation controls for propositional modality, focusing its analyses on instances of obligatory and variable subjunctive selection within deontic predicates. Results from a production task revealed that, despite the presence of between-group differences driven by participants’ levels of proficiency, type of selection did not significantly modulate their rates of subjunctive use. These findings challenge previous claims about the extent to which this factor affects Spanish HSs’ performance, and highlight the importance of considering propositional modality when examining the acquisition of mood.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Of mood and modality: Some considerations
  • 3.The development of modality and subjunctive mood in Spanish monolinguals and early bilinguals
  • 4.Method
    • 4.1Participants
    • 4.2Tasks and procedure
    • 4.3Coding
  • 5.Results
  • 6.Discussion and conclusion
    • 6.1Limitations and future directions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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2024. First things third? The extension of canonically third-person singular inflections to first-person singular subjects in adult heritage Spanish. Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 17:2 ► pp. 251 ff. DOI logo
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This list is based on CrossRef data as of 24 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

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