In this paper we take a closer look at the oft-touted divide between heritage language speakers and adult second language (L2) learners. Here, we explore whether some properties of language may display general effects across different populations of bilinguals, explaining, at least partially, why these two groups show some common differences when compared with monolinguals. To test this hypothesis, we adduce data from two unique populations of bilinguals: a moribund variety of heritage German spoken in southwestern Kansas (Moundridge Schweitzer German) and L2 adult learners of Spanish. Empirically, we investigate whether the confound of switch reference adds an additional cognitive burden to these bilinguals in licensing object control predicates in the former and referential subject pronouns in the latter. Our preliminary findings support the view that overarching concepts such as incomplete acquisition cannot capture the variability observed in these populations, thus further supporting approaches that interpret findings such as these to be the result of specific variables.

中文翻译：

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当双语是共同因素时：在第二语言和传统语言表现的能力和表现结合处切换参考

在本文中，我们仔细研究了传统语言使用者和成人第二语言 (L2) 学习者之间经常被吹捧的鸿沟。在这里，我们探讨了语言的某些特性是否会在不同的双语人群中显示出普遍影响，至少部分解释了为什么这两个群体与单语者相比表现出一些共同的差异。为了验证这一假设，我们引用了来自两个独特的双语人群的数据：堪萨斯州西南部使用的垂死的传统德语（Moundridge Schweitzer 德语）和西班牙语的 L2 成人学习者。根据经验，我们调查转换指称的混淆是否会给这些双语者在前者的许可对象控制谓词和后者的指称主语代词中增加额外的认知负担。