Abstract

For more than a decade, there is intensive investigation of heritage languages, originating but not restricted to heritage languages in the USA. The crucial research questions concern the nature of the observed effects of influence from the majority language on the heritage languages, i.e. is it language attrition/loss (affecting the first generation migrants), implying incomplete acquisition (in the second and subsequent generation) or language change? To date, there is yet not much research on heritage languages in Germany. The present paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing debate with data from first and second generation Spanish heritage speakers (n = 8 in both groups) in Germany as compared to a control group of Spaniards (n = 7). The results of the analysis of object omissions and (in particular clitic) realizations show that both, language attrition and incomplete acquisition can be clearly excluded for the groups investigated. None of the investigated aspects did reveal statistically significant differences between the different groups.