Gender assignment in mixed noun phrases: State of the art

Noun phrases (NPs) constitute one of the most frequent sites where bilingual speakers codeswitch. In this chapter we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of research into grammatical gender assignment in mixed NPs, namely NPs containing a noun from one language and a gender-agreeing element from another. We outline the three main gender assignment strategies observed in mixed NPs: (i) translation equivalent, (ii) shape-based, and (iii) default, and in which language pairs, using which tasks, they have been observed. We discuss how the order of acquisition of the gendered and non-gendered language, language dominance, task type, and community norms combine with linguistic properties to modulate gender assignment patterns. Findings suggest that bilinguals who learned a gendered language first seem to prefer the translation equivalent strategy. Since insufficient data from a wide variety of language dyads is currently available, we are cautious about offering further generalisations. Nonetheless, we highlight findings suggesting that more habitual code-switchers prefer the masculine default strategy. In order to progress beyond the current state-of-the-art, we suggest that the field needs to expand into more language dyads, as well as extend research on individual language dyads, using multiple methodologies and in communities differing in their code-switching frequency.