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Teachers' Language: L1 Attrition in Russian–English Bilinguals
Abstract
The present study reports on the evidence of first language (L1) attrition in a population that may appear to be the most resistant to L1 changes. Russian monolinguals (n= 3) and Russian–English bilinguals (n= 10) participated in the study. The bilinguals were graduate students teaching Russian as a foreign language at a U.S. university. The data were obtained through semispontaneous discourse on assigned interview topics and a grammaticality judgment task. Numerous instances of lexical and grammatical deviations registered in the data suggest that an extensive exposure to the L1 in the second language (L2) environment and motivation to keep it intact due to a high professional demand may still diminish the speaker's control over his or her L1 skills. Implications for L2 acquisition and foreign language teaching (FLT) are offered in the article.
... Schmid (2011a) does not include metalinguistic awareness among the factors affecting attrition. However, some researchers point out that metalinguistic awareness might be important in language attrition (Jessner, 2008, Jessner & Megens, 2019Isurin, 2007). ...
... Even though some studies have been conducted in European countries such as Germany and Finland (e.g. Dragoy et al., 2019, Lesio, 2001, a large number of the existing studies on attrition of L1 Russian were conducted in the USA (e.g., Isurin, 2007;Pavlenko, 2000Pavlenko, , 2003Pavlenko, , 2010Shishkin, 2010) and Israel (Baladzhaeva & Laufer, 2018a;Ben-Rafael and Schmid, 2007;Feldman, 1996;Laufer, 2003;Laufer & Baladzhaeva, 2015). These studies mainly focused on attrition in the lexical area. ...
... The last measure examined how aware the immigrants were of the effect of attrition on their own speech. Researchers report that attriters generally lose confidence in their language abilities (Isurin, 2007;Kim & Starks, 2008). ...
Language attrition of first (L1) and second (L2) languages has been a prominent area of applied linguistic research recently, particularly with the increase in international migration. Few studies, however, examined simultaneous L1 and L2 attrition in the same population. A further understudied area is indirect (second-hand) attrition – L1 or L2 attrition in immigrants who have not learned the language of the new country and yet experience its influence in the languages they know. This study investigates lexical L1 and L2 attrition in L1 Russian-speaking immigrants in Israel and the effect of the interplay of Russian, English, and Hebrew languages on this attrition. Furthermore, the study aims to expand the knowledge of second-hand L1 and L2 attrition. It also examines how attrition is affected by L2/L3 level, L1/L2/L3 usage, language aptitude, education, and metalinguistic awareness.
The study employed a quantitative methodology. The participants included four study groups in Israel (monolingual L1 Russian speakers, bilingual L1 Russian – L2 Hebrew speakers, bilingual L1 Russian – L2 English, and trilingual L1Russian – L2 English – L3 Hebrew speakers) and two control groups residing in Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan (monolingual L1 Russian speakers, bilingual L1 Russian – L2 English speakers). The participants took a number of tests that examined lexical attrition of L1 Russian and (for English speakers) L2 English in the following areas: collocations, infrequent vocabulary, vocabulary size, perceived word similarity, and object categorization patterns. Additionally, the participants completed sociolinguistic questionnaires and took tests of language aptitude and metalinguistic awareness. The tests were administered online.
Results provided evidence for direct and second-hand L1 attrition of Russian, especially of collocations, under the influence of Hebrew. L2 English did not appear to have a significant effect on L1. L2 attrition of English was less prominent, but Hebrew appeared to affect L2 English, especially in the area of collocations. Higher levels of language aptitude, metalinguistic awareness, and education served as protective factors against attrition. Length of residence in the new country was shown to be an important factor for L1 and L2 attrition. Frequent use of Russian did not diminish L1 attrition, possibly because immigrants were exposed to attrited, or heritage Russian to a large extent in their daily lives. Frequent use of English, on the other hand, was associated with lower levels of L2 English attrition possibly because of the nature of the immigrants’ input in English that is largely from media produced in English-speaking countries and not in Israel.
The specific contributions of the study to the field of language attrition are in describing and explaining attrition in multilingual speakers and second-hand attrition.
... However, so far most of the studies on attrition of L1 Russian were conducted in the USA (e.g. Isurin, 2007;Pavlenko, 2000Pavlenko, , 2003Pavlenko, , 2005Shishkin, 2010). These studies mostly focused on attrition in a lexical area. ...
... However, higher education and positive attitudes towards L1 did not necessarily provide immunity to L1 attrition. Isurin (2007), in her investigation of L1 Russian speakers who teach Russian as a foreign language in the US, showed that even people who are exposed to L1 daily and have a strong motivation to preserve their L1 may demonstrate attrition in L1 performance. ...
... The collocations used in the study were directly borrowed from Hebrew and bilingual participants definitely knew the Hebrew versions of these collocations. Isurin (2007) used similar grammaticality judgments in the study of bilingual teachers of Russian in the U.S. and also found diminished recognition of mistakes in collocations. This finding was even more striking considering that as teachers of Russian, her subjects were supposed to be more aware of mistakes and to recognize them more easily. ...
First language (L1) attrition in late bilinguals has been attributed to the influence of the second language (L2), insufficient maintenance of L1, length of residence in the L2 environment, and the age of attrition onset (Altenberg & Vago, 2004; Gurel, 2008; Pavlenko, 2010; Schmid, 2007, 2011). There is little research showing that a limited knowledge of L2 may also contribute to some attrition of L1 (Yagmur et al., 1999), but no research on whether L1 attrition is possible when immigrants have no knowledge of L2.
My study investigates whether Russian immigrants in Israel with little or no knowledge of Hebrew (L2) experience attrition of Russian (L1). It consists of two parts. In the first part, in the pilot study, three groups of adult Russian L1 speakers (16 immigrants with no knowledge of Hebrew, 44 immigrants with knowledge of Hebrew, and 21 monolingual controls from Russia and Kazakhstan) were compared on lexical retrieval, correctness judgment of collocations and correctness judgment of complex grammatical constructions. In the second part, in the main study, three groups of adult Russian as L1 speakers matched in age and education (30 immigrants with no knowledge of Hebrew, 37 immigrants with knowledge of Hebrew, and 21 monolingual controls, residents of Russia and Kazakhstan) were compared on lexical retrieval, production of irregular verbs, production of future tense of regular verbs and correctness judgment of collocations.
ANOVAs and Scheffe‘s post-hoc tests were used for each of the comparisons. I also collected sociolinguistic variables of the participants and performed correlational analyses between the attrition test scores and each one of the variables. Results of lexical retrieval tasks in the main study and production of irregular verbs showed no attrition. On correctness judgment of collocations in both parts, and on the lexical retrieval in the pilot study, participants with no knowledge of Hebrew performed no differently than participants with knowledge of Hebrew, and both performed significantly worse than the controls. Moreover, on the production of future tense of regular verbs, and on the correctness judgment of complex grammatical constructions, immigrants without knowledge of Hebrew performed even worse than immigrants with knowledge of Hebrew. On the
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production of future tense of regular verbs, both groups performed significantly worse than the controls. Test results correlated positively with Hebrew proficiency and with the amount of usage of Hebrew. The age of the onset of attrition correlated negatively with some results in the main study. Correlations with the length of residence in Israel, maintenance of Russian and attitudes towards Russian and Hebrew were not significant.
The conclusion is that immigrants with no L2 knowledge can experience just as much, or even more, attrition of L1 as immigrants with L2 knowledge. These results are explained in light of cross-linguistic influence theory. Bilingual immigrants experience L1 attrition due to simplification, diminished use of L1 Russian, and influence from L2 Hebrew. Monolingual immigrants experience L1 attrition due to the influence of attrited language of the bilinguals. Lack of metalinguistic awareness prevents monolingual immigrants from recognizing mistakes in their L1. Paradoxically, knowledge of L2 and higher L2 proficiency may have a positive effect on the maintenance of L1.
Several basic notions in the attrition research are challenged by the results of the study particularly, the notion that only bilinguals can experience L2-induced L1 attrition. It was also found that higher education, higher age at the time of immigration, positive attitudes towards L1 and maintenance of L1 do not prevent L1 attrition.
... It is noteworthy that L1 attrition has been demonstrated even for sojourners who use their L1 daily and need a high level of L1 ability for professional reasons (Porte, 1999;Badstü bner 2011;Isurin 2007). For example, Isurin (2007) studied graduate students teaching Russian as a foreign language at a US university. ...
... It is noteworthy that L1 attrition has been demonstrated even for sojourners who use their L1 daily and need a high level of L1 ability for professional reasons (Porte, 1999;Badstü bner 2011;Isurin 2007). For example, Isurin (2007) studied graduate students teaching Russian as a foreign language at a US university. The teachers' Russian discourse and grammaticality judgments deviated from Russian monolingual norms (see related study by Badstü bner 2011). ...
... Future work can employ semantic category prompts. In addition, the methods of Badstü bner (2011) and Isurin (2007) can be used to determine if measures of spontaneous discourse and grammaticality judgments will show deterioration for all-English curriculum students. It will also be useful to ask these students directly if they experienced difficulty reading advanced or scholarly texts in their native language. ...
Does a native language suffer when students take all of their classes in a foreign language, even in their home country? Turkish
students studying psychology, economics, or English literature with English as the language of instruction (N = 91) were studied across a three-year period. Test scores, word fluency measures, and self-ratings were broadly comparable
with students enrolled in a standard Turkish curriculum (N = 74). However, differences were obtained among English literature students, many of whom anticipate careers as English teachers
or translators. These students had lower Turkish entrance exam scores, and word fluency scores were higher in English than
Turkish, while the reverse was found for all other students, including other English-medium instructed students. The self-assessed
L1-Turkish writing abilities of the English literature students also declined slightly across the three-year study. We conclude
that intense engagement with a foreign language may put the native language at risk for temporary attrition, but studying
with a foreign-language as the medium of instruction does not.
... Specifically, our Australian bilingual speakers, who reside in a country that is monolingual Englishspeaking, showed a greater nuance of meaning, as demonstrated by the 3D solution and more reliable clusters. Our findings are consistent with Isurin's (2007) observations of the impact of the dominant L2 of the country of residence on one's language use. Analysis of speech samples in L1, Russian, elicited from Russian-English bilinguals residing in the USA, revealed a much greater number of lexical borrowings and syntax deviations compared to speech samples taken from Russian monolinguals in Russia. ...
... Analysis of speech samples in L1, Russian, elicited from Russian-English bilinguals residing in the USA, revealed a much greater number of lexical borrowings and syntax deviations compared to speech samples taken from Russian monolinguals in Russia. These differences were found even though the Russian-English bilinguals in Isurin's (2007) study were Russian language instructors working at US Universities who used their L1 (Russian) also professionally. Australian bilinguals who do not use Russian professionally are likely to experience an even greater influence of L2 (English). ...
Aim
To explore how English epistemic adverbs, as used in health communication, are understood by speakers depending on their first language (L1) and language context.
Methods
We used an online dissimilarity rating task with paired doctors' opinions which differed only with respect to the embedded epistemic adverbs (e.g., This treatment definitely has side effects vs. This treatment possibly has side effects). In order to evaluate the possible effect of one's L1, we compared the ratings of English-speaking monolinguals and Russian-English bilinguals in Australia (Study 1). To evaluate the impact of language context, we compared the ratings of Russian-English bilinguals in Australia and Russia (Study 2). The data were interpreted using classical multidimensional scaling (C-MDS) analysis, complemented by cultural consensus analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis.
Results
The C-MDS analyses returned statistically acceptable results. Intragroup consensus was evident for all speaker groups. They all clustered the high confidence adverbs (clearly, definitely, and obviously) and the hearsay adverbs (presumably and supposedly) similarly. Effects of L1 were seen: for example, unlike the monolinguals, the Russian bilinguals did not include evidently with the high confidence adverbs (Study 1). An effect of context was also evident: Russian-English bilinguals in Australia most resembled the monolinguals in their understanding of epistemic adverbs. The way Russian-based bilinguals clustered epistemic adverbs reflected a less nuanced understanding (Study 2).
Conclusion
The subtle differences in how adverbs of likelihood and doubt are understood in health communication suggest extra care is needed when conveying risk and uncertainty to patients from diverse linguistic and/or cultural backgrounds to ensure mutual understanding and mitigate against miscommunication. The impact of L1 and language context on one's understanding highlights the need to explore more widely how epistemic adverbs are understood by diverse populations and, in doing so, improve healthcare communication practices.
... Como cabría esperar, la mayoría de los estudios sobre este tema se ha enfocado en profesores nativos de inglés residentes en países no anglófonos, tales como Major (1992) en Brasil, Porte ( , 2003 en España y Ehrensberg-Dow y Ricketts (2008) en Suiza. Por su parte, Isurin (2007) llevó a cabo un estudio que se centró en profesores nativos de ruso en los EE.UU., mientras que Gaibrois Chevrier (2016) investigó a profesores nativos de francés residentes en España. ...
... Para esta investigación se diseñó una prueba que consistía en treinta enunciados cortos -la mitad correctos, la otra mitad incorrectos y dispuestos aleatoriamente-que fueron grabados por una hablante nativa residente en Argentina. Los enunciados se presentaban solamente de manera auditiva y no por escrito (Isurin, 2007), ya que como "los juicios de gramaticalidad se refieren a la intuición de los hablantes sobre una expresión específica" (Larsen-Freeman y Long, 1994: 42), se concluyó que era preferible no proporcionarles el tiempo de reflexión y relectura típicos de una oración presentada por escrito. Los participantes tenían que juzgar dichos enunciados de manera dicotómica (correcto / incorrecto) sin tener un límite de tiempo y, en caso de que fueran erróneos, corregirlos. ...
Teniendo en cuenta que la erosión lingüística de la lengua materna de los inmigrantes es un proceso prácticamente inevitable, nos interesa saber si los profesionales de la lengua española (profesores de ELE, traductores y periodistas) en Israel procedentes de Argentina son más o menos inmunes a este desgaste lingüístico que sus compatriotas para quienes el español no es su principal herramienta de trabajo. Si bien el nivel lingüístico más afectado por la erosión-y el más estudiado-suele ser el léxico, en este trabajo se presentan datos sobre la erosión en el nivel morfológico de la lengua. Esta investigación pretende contribuir al debate sobre el profesor nativo/no nativo de lenguas, aportando datos desde la perspectiva del desgaste lingüístico. ABSTRACT Considering that first language attrition is an almost unavoidable process that immigrants go through to various extents, we aim at exploring whether Spanish language professionals (teachers, translators and journalists) in Israel who migrated from Argentina are more or less immune to attrition than non-language professionals. Even though the lexicon is usually the language level most affected by attrition-and the subject of most research-, in this article, data about attrition at the morphological level is presented. This research aims to contribute to the debate about the native/non-native language teacher from the perspective of L1 attrition. 1. INTRODUCCIÓN n las últimas décadas el fenómeno de la erosión lingüística experimentada por inmigrantes en su lengua materna (L1) viene despertando un creciente interés académico debido al aumento de los movimientos migratorios en el mundo entero. Junto con el aprendizaje de la lengua del país de acogida, la lengua madre de los inmigrantes sufre cambios inevitables, algunos de los cuales serían indicadores de un desgaste lingüístico. Cuando los inmigrantes son también profesores que enseñan su lengua materna, esta cuestión tiene repercusiones no solo personales sino también sociales, que pueden afectar su desempeño profesional. En el caso particular que nos ocupa, el carácter binacional, migratorio y plurilingüe de Israel, junto con la carga histórica e ideológica del hebreo, hacen que esta sociedad sea un entorno ideal para estudiar la erosión lingüística entre los inmigrantes, sobre todo si se trata de profesores de lengua. 8 Este artículo es una versión ampliada de un trabajo presentado en el XXX Congreso Internacional de ASELE, en septiembre de 2019. E
... All three groups were asked to perform a GJ. In this task, I employed the methodology used by attrition studies (Jarvis, 2003, andIsurin, 2007). Following the technique used by Jarvis (2003), I extracted the most common errors pertaining to case use from the speech of HSs observed in my pilot study. ...
... Despite all this, however, the language of FGIs exhibited change, especially evident in so-called figurative speech but also frequency of case use. These findings indicate that the language of immigrants may undergo change even when a speaker makes a lot of effort to maintain it, as was observed in previous research (Isurin, 2007;Jarvis, 2003). ...
Nominal case morphology is often considered one of the most reanalyzed elements of heritage grammar (Benmamoun et al., 2013; Montrul, 2016). Several case typologies have been put forward to investigate which cases are more vulnerable in heritage languages. The two considered in this dissertation are based solely on the internal qualities of cases. Benmamoun et al. (2013) have suggested that structural case is better preserved than inherent case, whereas Laskowski (2014) has proposed that strong cases replace weak ones in the language of Polish heritage speakers. Neither of these approaches, however, has compared divergences between the speech of heritage speakers and the language of their parents. By analyzing patterns of case use in the language of two generations of Polish immigrants, this dissertation offers new insights into nominal morphology in the Polish heritage language. It also analyzes whether any of the proposed case typologies are applicable to heritage Polish. To gain a more comprehensive view of nominal case morphology in heritage Polish, the present study focuses not only on the internal characteristics of cases, but also on such external qualities as case markings.
Conducted mainly in Chicago, the study investigates the case use and knowledge of twenty-five Polish heritage speakers, twelve first-generation immigrants, and a control group of twelve monolinguals from Poland. The results show that all oblique cases are preserved in the speech of the advanced heritage speakers, albeit occurring less frequently therein than in the language of the other two groups. The lower-proficiency speakers’ decreased accuracy, meanwhile, may signify that the grammatical systems of these speakers operate on the syntactic rules of the dominant language (i.e., English). Additionally, the results of the first-generation immigrants indicate that the frequency of oblique case use in their language is much lower than in the language of the control group.
To measure the use and knowledge of cases, the study employed three tasks: story elicitation (based on the picture book Frog, Where Are You?), elicited sentence completion, and grammaticality judgment. The results of the tasks indicate that heritage speakers’ divergent use of cases exhibits several tendencies: (1) reassignment of case functions, especially those pertaining to the genitive, (2) allomorphic reduction in cases that display more complex morphology, such as the locative and genitive, (3) overgeneralization of one post-prepositional case, and (4) substitution of the nominative for most oblique cases in lower proficiency speakers. Additionally, the results of the first-generation immigrants show that they use fewer oblique cases per clause than the control group. In particular, the two cases used less frequently by first-generation immigrants are the accusative and instrumental in so-called figurative functions.
Most divergent patterns displayed by heritage speakers in this study apply to both case types suggested by the above-mentioned typologies. Therefore, the proposed case theories cannot predict which cases are more or less vulnerable. Instead, I argue that the patterns observed represent strategies used by heritage speakers to compensate for inadequate case knowledge and/or difficulty with case-ending retrieval, which also points to the role of cognitive economy. The patterns are different for various proficiency levels. Intermediate speakers tend to replace all oblique cases with the nominative, reduce case allomorphy, and/or rely on prepositions in case ending retrieval, whereas advanced heritage speakers tend to reduce case functions. Overall, the results of this study indicate that nominal morphology in the Polish heritage language is conditioned by the cognitive strategies heritage speakers use to maintain their language, as well as by divergent parental input characterized by less frequent use of some cases.
... This suggests that attrition is mainly a question of inaccessibility or weak activation rather than total loss of target forms. This account is supported by empirical studies showing that adult L1 speakers and L2 learners may have weak access to some features in their L1 and L2, respectively, due to lack of use (e.g., Boumans, 2006;Goral, 2004;Hansen, 2000;Tomiyama, 2009;Flores, 2010;Skaaden, 2005, Hulsen, 2000Keijzer, 2010;Isurin, 2007;Scherag, et al, 2004). The implications for HLA research is that heritage speakers who rely predominantly on their L2 and rarely use their L1 may face difficulties in retrieving different features of their L1 system when these are needed for fulfilling some discursive functions. ...
... Previous studies on adult Arab immigrants in Europe show that they may lose some native aspects of their child-acquired, fully-developed L1 due to lack of use in the immigrant environment (Boumans, 2006;see Goral, 2004;Skaaden, 2005, Hulsen, 2000Keijzer, 2010;Isurin, 2007;Scherag, et al, 2004 for similar findings in other languages). This indicates that the adult L1 system may not necessarily be as stable as it has generally been assumed. ...
Previous research on Arabic heritage speakers points to notable variability in the language proficiencies of Arabic heritage speakers, both as individuals and as groups (Albirini & Benmamoun, 2012; Albirini, Benmamoun, & Saadah, 2011). This study examines the language proficiencies of Egyptian and Palestinian heritage speakers, assesses the relationship between their L1 proficiency levels and other linguistic, socio-affective, socio-contextual, and demographic factors, and explores the relative significance of these factors in determining proficiency in heritage Arabic. A total of 20 Egyptian and 20 Palestinian heritage speakers completed an oral narrative that was used for assessing three dimensions of their language proficiencies, namely fluency, grammatical accuracy, and syntactic complexity. In addition, the participants filled in a 182-item questionnaire about the factors potentially influencing their heritage language skills, including language input, language use, language attitudes, ethnic identity, family role, community support, school, and demographics. The study also involved follow-up interviews with a sample of five Palestinian and five Egyptian participants.
... Combining the results from both L1 and L2 tasks, our findings suggest that the improved speed and accuracy in retrieving of L2 words due to increased L2 use may come with a tradeoff involving fewer opportunities for L1 usage, which could result in slower and less accurate retrieval of L1 words. This outcome aligns with a substantial body of research demonstrating that prolonged exposure to an L2 not only fosters L2 proficiency but also leads to diminished skills in L1 processing among bilingual immigrants (e.g., Hopp & Schmid, 2013;Isurin, 2007;Köpke, 2007;Montrul, 2010). This trend resonates with the principles of the weaker links hypothesis (Gollan et al., 2008), which posits that recent and frequent L2 use helps bilinguals establish a robust L2 mental lexicon, yet it may simultaneously constrain access to L1 words. ...
... Biorę autobus do szkoły I take a bus to school According to some researchers, lexical borrowings of this type are very common, even among people who strive to preserve their first language (Jarvis, 2003;Isurin, 2007). But these are not the only examples of the bilingual development of heritage Polish. ...
Shaped by multiple waves of immigrants, Polish in the United States has a long and intricate history. Nowadays, considered the twelfth minority language, Polish is still spoken throughout the country. However, in Chicago where the biggest concentration of its speakers lives, the language holds the second, after Spanish, place among immigrant languages. Linguistically, the language undergoes changes typical of other heritage languages, i.e., lexical borrowings from the dominant language and restructuring of grammar. Like other heritage languages in the United States, Polish is hardly ever passed to the third generation, with the notable exceptions of places like Panna Maria in Texas.
The chapter will discuss the consequent waves of immigrants and how their socio-economic situation as well as the attitude of the American society towards newcomers created more or less favorable circumstances for language maintenance. It will talk about the institutions that have been created to help new generations uphold the language such as Polish parochial and Saturday schools. Concentrating on the language of Polish Chicagoans, the chapter will argue that despite these efforts Polish undergoes restructuring, albeit proportional to the frequency of use. Finally, the chapter will provide the overview of the most noticeable divergencies of heritage Polish.
... Schmid & Köpke, 2009). Along with borrowings, loan translations, semantic convergence, and restructuring of individual lexical items, "destroyed" or "unconventional" collocations are usually mentioned among lexical changes occurring in spontaneous speech of attriters (e.g., Besters-Dilger, 2013;De Bot & Clyne, 1994;Isurin, 2007;Jarvis, 2003;Marian & Kaushanskaya, 2007;Negrisanu, 2008;Pavlenko, 2000). Jarvis (2019, p. 243) states that syntagmatic problems are frequent among attriters in compounds, collocational idioms, and cliches and underscores the importance of investigating MWUs in attrition, as already pointed out by Bardovi-Harlig & Stringer (2013) for L2 attrition. ...
Aims and objectives
This introductory article aims to set the scene for the special issue by discussing existing and future research directions on multiword units (MWUs) in multilingual speakers. It also outlines the purpose and structure of the special issue and presents the individual contributions.
Design, data and analysis
The introductory article reviews the most relevant theoretical and methodological issues as well as the main research gaps related to the processing, learning, and use of MWUs in both mono- and multilingual speakers. In addition, it introduces the contributions to this volume and briefly presents the types of MWUs, the types of multilingual speakers and the data and methodologies that are in focus.
Conclusions, originality and implications
The contributions in this special issue on different types of MWUs in different groups of multilingual speakers using different methodologies shed new light on open questions in various areas of multilingualism research, including psycholinguistic approaches to second-language learning and processing, contact linguistics as well as research on heritage speakers and language attrition. In this regard, the special issue contributes to a more complete and differentiated picture of the role of MWUs in multilingual speakers but also in language processing, learning, and use in general.
... Sugli effetti della migrazione sugli insegnanti abbiamo a disposizione alcuni studi precedenti, ad es. il lavoro di Porte (1999Porte ( , 2003 sugli insegnanti di inglese, quello di Isurin (2007) sugli insegnanti di russo e quello di Proietti Ergün (2011) sugli insegnanti di italiano in Turchia. I cambiamenti nella L1 in questa categoria particolare sono meno prevedibili rispetto ad altri gruppi di parlanti, considerando la loro esposizione quotidiana alla L1, una presumibile consapevolezza metalinguistica e un alto grado di controllo collegati alla professione esercitata. ...
1. IL TRANSFER PRAGMATICO Viviamo in un mondo sempre più globalizzato caratterizzato dalla migrazione internazionale in continua crescita che crea nuovi contesti per il bilinguismo e per il plurilinguismo. Il plurilinguismo, ovvero la coesistenza di lingue (e culture) diverse, anche molto distanti, nello stesso individuo è una condizione normale e diffusa nel mondo. La letteratura esistente fornisce ampie prove del fatto che la conoscenza di due o più lingue permette l'interazione tra la L1 e la L2 a livello fonologico, lessicale, grammaticale e pragmatico. Le varie forme di interazione tra lingua e cultura materna (e altre lingue e culture già apprese) e la lingua e cultura nuove possono essere riassunte sotto il concetto di transfer. Il concetto di transfer è stato elaborato negli anni Cinquanta nell'ambito teorico dell'analisi contrastiva; una delle più note definizioni è quella di Robert Lado (1957: 2), il quale afferma che «gli individui tendono a trasferire forme e significati e la distribuzione di forme e significati dalla loro lingua e cultura alla lingua e cultura straniere, sia in maniera produttiva, quando provano a parlare la lingua e ad agire nella cultura, sia in maniera ricettiva, quando cercano di catturare e capire la lingua e la cultura praticate dai nativi» (trad. mia). Un caso particolare di transfer è quello pragmatico, definito da Kasper (1992: 207) come «l'impatto di conoscenze extralinguistiche, norme sociali, valori e percezioni precedenti dell'apprendente sulla sua conoscenza pragmatica e sul suo comportamento nella L2» (trad. mia). Si tratta dunque dell'influenza esercitata dalla conoscenza pragmatica previa sull'acquisizione e sull'uso di elementi pragmatici in L2: l'apprendente ricorre a determinate strategie pragmatiche nella convinzione che siano appropriate al contesto, basandosi sulla propria competenza pragmatica nella L1 (o in altre lingue note). Se tale strategia è effettivamente appropriata nella L2 possiamo parlare di transfer positivo; in caso contrario, di transfer negativo (Lunati, Santoro, 2020: 213). Il transfer pragmatico può avere conseguenze molto più rilevanti rispetto al transfer negli altri livelli linguistici perché coinvolge l'immagine che i parlanti nativi formano dell'apprendente, con potenziali conseguenze sulla relazione che si istaurerà tra nativo e non nativo (cfr. Thomas, 1983). Tuttavia, non solo le caratteristiche specifiche della L1 influenzano l'uso della L2, ma anche gli usi della L1 cambiano sotto l'influenza di L2. Dell'influenza della L2 sulla L1 si occupano, ad esempio, gli studi sull'attrito linguistico: in contesto migratorio, soprattutto nel caso di un contatto prolungato con la L2 e di un uso ridotto della L1 si osservano cambiamenti e perdite linguistiche nel tempo. Esiste un considerevole corpus di ricerche che dimostrano che i fenomeni di erosione possono verificarsi a tutti i livelli linguistici, come quello lessicale (ad es. Schmid, Jarvis, 2014), morfosintattico (ad es. Schmid, 2009), 1 Università per Stranieri di Perugia.
... Moreover, existing evidence indicates the presence of a more severe attrition in adult participants who have weaker contacts with the L1 environment (e.g., de Bot et al. 1991;Köpke 1999). Arguably, both quantity and quality of such contacts are important moderators of the disuse factors of L1 attrition, but the former has received more extensive attention in research than the latter (Isurin 2007;Opitz 2013;Chamorro et al. 2016b;Bergmann et al. 2016;Schmid and Yılmaz 2018;Karayayla and Schmid 2019). Nevertheless, studies have shown that the context in which L1 continues to be used plays an important role in predicting the relative degree of the attrition effects. ...
The decay in the proficiency of the native language (L1), known as first language attrition, is one of the least understood phenomena associated with the acquisition of a second language (L2). Indeed, the exact cause for the deterioration in L1 performance, be that either the interference from L2 acquisition or the less frequent use of L1, still remains elusive. In this opinion paper, we focus on one largely understudied aspect of L1 attrition—namely, the erosion of the L1 orthographic knowledge under the influence of L2 orthography. In particular, we propose to study differences in orthographic processing between mono- and bilingual populations as an approach, which, in turn, will allow to address both cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying L1 attrition. We discuss relevant experimental paradigms, variable manipulations and appropriate research methods that may help disentangle the largely debated question of L2 interference vs. L1 disuse, clarifying the nature of the L1 orthographic attrition.
... Nonetheless, as with L2 effects, the corresponding evidence is quite inconsistent and, importantly, tends to point toward the interrelation of factors related to both L1 and L2 as responsible for attrition (De Bot, 2002). On the one hand, several studies have reported higher levels of attrition in participants who had a progressively weaker contact with their L1 (De Bot et al., 1991;Köpke, 1999;Isurin, 2007;Opitz, 2013;Bergmann et al., 2016;Chamorro et al., 2016b;Schmid and Yilmaz, 2018;Karayayla and Schmid, 2019), supporting the idea that the amount of L1 contact predicts the severity of attrition. Note that these studies have used a variety of experimental methodologies, including EEG , eye-tracking (Chamorro et al., 2016b), and behavioral methods. ...
This review aims at clarifying the concept of first language attrition by tracing its limits, identifying its phenomenological and contextual constraints, discussing controversies associated with its definition, and suggesting potential directions for future research. We start by reviewing different definitions of attrition as well as associated inconsistencies. We then discuss the underlying mechanisms of first language attrition and review available evidence supporting different background hypotheses. Finally, we attempt to provide the groundwork to build a unified theoretical framework allowing for generalizable results. To this end, we suggest the deployment of a rigorous neuroscientific approach, in search of neural markers of first language attrition in different linguistic domains, putting forward hypothetical experimental ways to identify attrition’s neural traces and formulating predictions for each of the proposed experimental paradigms.
... On the other hand, it reinforces the role of L2 in inducing and driving changes in L1 as contact with L2 is naturally reduced upon a return to the L1 environment. In fact, experimental evidence has pointed at quantity (e.g., de Bot et al., 1991;Isurin, 2007;Opitz, 2013;Bergmann et al., 2016;Chamorro et al., 2016b;Kasparian et al., 2017;Schmid and Yilmaz, 2018;Karayayla and Schmid, 2019) and quality (e.g., Schmid, 2007;de Leeuw et al., 2010;Schmid and Dusseldorp, 2010;de Leeuw et al., 2012;Yilmaz and Schmid, 2012) of L1 exposure and at L2 interference (e.g., Ben Rafael, 2001;Dussias, 2004;Hutz, 2004;Ventureyra et al., 2004;Ribbert and Kuiken, 2010;Schmid and Jarvis, 2014;Chamorro et al., 2016a;de Leeuw et al., 2018) as factors contributing to the presence and the severity of L1 attrition. ...
The use of language as a universal tool for communication and interaction is the backbone of human society. General sociocultural milieu and specific contextual factors can strongly influence various aspects of linguistic experience, including language acquisition and use and the respective internal neurolinguistic processes. This is particularly relevant in the case of bilingualism, which encompasses a diverse set of linguistic experiences, greatly influenced by societal, cultural, educational, and personal factors. In this perspective piece, we focus on a specific type of linguistic experience: non-pathological first-language (L1) attrition—a phenomenon that is strongly tied to immersion in non-L1 environments. We present our view on what may be the essence of L1 attrition and suggest ways of examining it as a type of bilingual experience, in particular with relation to its neurocognitive bases.
... Los hallazgos de este estudio incipiente sobre la erosión lingüística concuerdan con los de otros estudios que encontraron deficiencias en la capacidad de recuperación léxica de los participantes (Isurin, 2007;Olshtain y Brazilay, ibid., entre otros). No obstante, a diferencia de autores que concluyeron que un uso profesional de la lengua materna vuelve a los inmigrantes menos propensos al deterioro lingüístico (Schmid y Dusseldorp, 2012o de Leeuw et al., 2010, en la pequeña muestra de este estudio no se observó este efecto positivo del uso cotidiano y profesional del español en la docencia. ...
Language attrition among Argentinean immigrants in Israel. A comparison between language professionals (teachers, journalists and translators) and non-language professionals.
... Nonetheless, as with L2 effects, the corresponding evidence is quite inconsistent and, importantly, tends to point toward the interrelation of factors related to both L1 and L2 as responsible for attrition (De Bot, 2002). On the one hand, several studies have reported higher levels of attrition in participants who had a progressively weaker contact with their L1 (De Bot et al., 1991;Köpke, 1999;Isurin, 2007;Opitz, 2013;Bergmann et al., 2016;Chamorro et al., 2016b;Schmid and Yilmaz, 2018;Karayayla and Schmid, 2019), supporting the idea that the amount of L1 contact predicts the severity of attrition. Note that these studies have used a variety of experimental methodologies, including EEG , eye-tracking (Chamorro et al., 2016b), and behavioral methods. ...
... However, young children (during the first decade of life) are also more vulnerable to L1 attrition than adults (Benmamoun et al. 2010;Ecke 2004;Isurin 2013;Schmid 2011) although even adults display dynamic changes in their ability to access multiple languages over time (De Bot and Lowie 2010;Ecke and Hall 2013;Opitz 2013). Immigrants of Russian origin in the U.S. have received considerable attention from researchers who investigated issues of L1 attrition (Isurin 2000(Isurin , 2007Laleko 2007;Pavlenko 2003), L2 influence on L1 (Mikhaylova 2006) Languages 2018, 3, 27 2 of 17 as well as incomplete L1 acquisition and L1 (re)learning (Dubinina and Polinsky 2013;Isurin and Ivanova-Sullivan 2008;Polinsky 2006;Smyslova 2012). The present study contributes to this body of research by investigating cognitive aspects of Russian immigrants' language development, particularly their language dominance, verbal fluency, and ability to control their two languages. ...
This study explored language dominance, verbal fluency, and language control abilities of two groups of younger and older Russian–English bilinguals who had spent similar amounts of time as immigrants in the U.S. Verbal fluency tasks (based on letter and semantic cues, including a new method to elicit parallel letter-fluency data for Russian and English) were used to measure the bilinguals’ current lexical retrieval skills in addition to self-assessments of language proficiencies at time of study and time of arrival. Stroop tasks (naming colors with incongruent cues) were used to measure younger and older bilinguals’ ability to control interference during color-naming. Findings demonstrate that the older immigrants were less fluent in L2 naming tasks and that they remained dominant (more proficient) in their L1 whereas the younger immigrants had become relatively balanced bilinguals in terms of proficiency, fluent in both the L1 and L2. Younger and older bilinguals were equally capable of controlling interference across and within the two languages. We propose that it is not balance in bilingual proficiency that positively affects language control abilities, but balance as stability of language systems. Stability of language systems can be achieved if bilingual usage patterns remain relatively constant over several years and if no radical changes in language learning and maintenance efforts are required.
... The participants shifted to English for four main reasons: (1) for retrieval purposes, (2) to reiterate or clarify a preceding statement, (3) for technical and academic terms, and (4) of Arabic (Othman, 2006;Albirini, 2014a). In fact, previous studies suggest that lexical retrieval, which is often caused by inaccessibility or weak activation, is a major feature of heritage language use across various speech communities (Neisser, 1984;de Bot and Clyne, 1989;Hansen, 2000;Hulsen, 2000;Hulsen, et al., 2002;Green, 2003;Goral, 2004;Paradis, 2004Paradis, , 2007Scherag et al., 2004;Skaaden, 2005;Boumans, 2006;Isurin, 2007;Tomiyama, 2009;Flores, 2010;Keijzer, 2010). This type of CS is typically associated with pauses, hesitations, repetitions, or recasts. ...
Aims
This study focuses on heritage speakers’ ability to use their Arabic varieties and English in the construction of narratives of personal experience. This is critical because English, Colloquial Arabic (CA), and Standard Arabic (SA) are part of the sociolinguistic reality of the families and communities in which many heritage Arabic speakers live.
Design
The study compares and contrastes heritage speakers’ Arabic and English narratives with respect to codes, registers, and functions in the narratives.
Data and analysis
Fifteen Arabic and 15 English narratives from five participants, fluent in Arabic and English, were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively.
Findings
The results reveal that, despite their fluency in their heritage language, respondents lack the sociolinguistic competence to socially and pragmatically deploy CA and SA appropriately in their narratives. In the Arabic narratives, respondents alternated frequently between CA and SA, but they were not always able to maintain the asymmetrical functions of CA and SA. English was used mainly as a compensation strategy, yet participants were able to integrate contextually appropriate English registers in discourse. In the English narratives, participants switched parsimoniously to Arabic for fillers and culturally specific terms and expressions. Moreover, they displayed a greater register control based on the events in their narratives.
Originality
This is one of few studies focusing on the sociolinguistic competence of heritage Arabic speakers. It is the first study to examine the distribution and functions of Arabic varieties and English in personal narratives rendered in Arabic and English.
Implications
The study indicates that a full understanding of heritage language acquisition requires an evaluation of the sociolinguistic aspects of language use. Heritage speakers are influenced by contextual factors and by the lack of a community of practice, elements that are key in understanding their sociolinguistic competence.
... In another approach that emphasizes interference, Pavlenko ( 2004 ) and Isurin ( 2007 ) have argued that increased exposure to a L2 is likely to involve infl uence on the L1 and that such infl uence is not necessarily indicative of attrition. Both consider their work to be in line with Cook's ( 1991 ) view of L2 users as having a uniquely blended linguistic knowledge that he terms multicompetence . ...
This article provides a comprehensive synthesis of research on language attrition to date, with a view to establishing a theoretically sound basis for future research in the domain of second language (L2) attrition. We identify the variables that must be tracked in populations who experience language loss, and we develop a general model for the assessment of the processes involved. This critical review suggests that future research in this domain should establish baselines for attainment against which to measure attrition, and that learners must be compared to themselves in longitudinal designs that involve periodic assessment of both linguistic and extralinguistic factors. In the proposed model, populations are defined as sets of variables, which are subject to change following shifts in discrete time periods in the general process of acquisition and attrition. A working model is elaborated for the assessment of L2 attrition and retention, which, we hope, might encourage additional work in this area.
The relationship between memory and language and the topic of bilingualism are important areas of research in both psychology and linguistics and are grounded in cognitive and linguistic paradigms, theories and experimentation. This volume provides an integrated theoretical/real-world approach to second language learning, use and processing from a cognitive perspective. A strong international and interdisciplinary team of contributors present the results of various explorations into bilingual language processing, from recent advances in studies on bilingual memory to studies on the role of the brain in language processing and language forgetting. This is a strong yet balanced combination of theoretical/overview contributions and accounts of novel, original, empirical studies which will educate readers on the relationship between theory, cognitive experimentation and data and their role in understanding language learning and practice.
The relationship between memory and language and the topic of bilingualism are important areas of research in both psychology and linguistics and are grounded in cognitive and linguistic paradigms, theories and experimentation. This volume provides an integrated theoretical/real-world approach to second language learning, use and processing from a cognitive perspective. A strong international and interdisciplinary team of contributors present the results of various explorations into bilingual language processing, from recent advances in studies on bilingual memory to studies on the role of the brain in language processing and language forgetting. This is a strong yet balanced combination of theoretical/overview contributions and accounts of novel, original, empirical studies which will educate readers on the relationship between theory, cognitive experimentation and data and their role in understanding language learning and practice.
The relationship between memory and language and the topic of bilingualism are important areas of research in both psychology and linguistics and are grounded in cognitive and linguistic paradigms, theories and experimentation. This volume provides an integrated theoretical/real-world approach to second language learning, use and processing from a cognitive perspective. A strong international and interdisciplinary team of contributors present the results of various explorations into bilingual language processing, from recent advances in studies on bilingual memory to studies on the role of the brain in language processing and language forgetting. This is a strong yet balanced combination of theoretical/overview contributions and accounts of novel, original, empirical studies which will educate readers on the relationship between theory, cognitive experimentation and data and their role in understanding language learning and practice.
The relationship between memory and language and the topic of bilingualism are important areas of research in both psychology and linguistics and are grounded in cognitive and linguistic paradigms, theories and experimentation. This volume provides an integrated theoretical/real-world approach to second language learning, use and processing from a cognitive perspective. A strong international and interdisciplinary team of contributors present the results of various explorations into bilingual language processing, from recent advances in studies on bilingual memory to studies on the role of the brain in language processing and language forgetting. This is a strong yet balanced combination of theoretical/overview contributions and accounts of novel, original, empirical studies which will educate readers on the relationship between theory, cognitive experimentation and data and their role in understanding language learning and practice.
The relationship between memory and language and the topic of bilingualism are important areas of research in both psychology and linguistics and are grounded in cognitive and linguistic paradigms, theories and experimentation. This volume provides an integrated theoretical/real-world approach to second language learning, use and processing from a cognitive perspective. A strong international and interdisciplinary team of contributors present the results of various explorations into bilingual language processing, from recent advances in studies on bilingual memory to studies on the role of the brain in language processing and language forgetting. This is a strong yet balanced combination of theoretical/overview contributions and accounts of novel, original, empirical studies which will educate readers on the relationship between theory, cognitive experimentation and data and their role in understanding language learning and practice.
The relationship between memory and language and the topic of bilingualism are important areas of research in both psychology and linguistics and are grounded in cognitive and linguistic paradigms, theories and experimentation. This volume provides an integrated theoretical/real-world approach to second language learning, use and processing from a cognitive perspective. A strong international and interdisciplinary team of contributors present the results of various explorations into bilingual language processing, from recent advances in studies on bilingual memory to studies on the role of the brain in language processing and language forgetting. This is a strong yet balanced combination of theoretical/overview contributions and accounts of novel, original, empirical studies which will educate readers on the relationship between theory, cognitive experimentation and data and their role in understanding language learning and practice.
The relationship between memory and language and the topic of bilingualism are important areas of research in both psychology and linguistics and are grounded in cognitive and linguistic paradigms, theories and experimentation. This volume provides an integrated theoretical/real-world approach to second language learning, use and processing from a cognitive perspective. A strong international and interdisciplinary team of contributors present the results of various explorations into bilingual language processing, from recent advances in studies on bilingual memory to studies on the role of the brain in language processing and language forgetting. This is a strong yet balanced combination of theoretical/overview contributions and accounts of novel, original, empirical studies which will educate readers on the relationship between theory, cognitive experimentation and data and their role in understanding language learning and practice.
This longitudinal study investigates an English-French-Turkish-speaking seven-years-old female child’s repertoire combining two Indo-European languages, English and French, and Turkish, which is an Altaic language. Language attrition has mostly focused on first language (L1) attrition, and to a lesser extent on second language (L2) attrition. Third language (L3) attrition, however, has been mostly overlooked, and more attention has gone to adult language attrition after migration or after institutional language learning. Most research has in addition focused on only a subset of target languages (TL). This paper therefore addresses the attrition of child L3 (Turkish) attrition ‘after remigration’. The findings show selective regression with structurally assigned morphology and confirm the findings of previous studies showing that the younger the informant, the more attrition is likely to occur.
This chapter discusses the interactions between two of the most important human cognitive functions: memory and language. First, the concept of working memory is introduced, along with a brief summary of the evolutions that working memory theory has undergone in the last decades. The second part of the chapter focuses on the role of (verbal) working memory in language acquisition and processing. It is argued that working memory, and especially the ability to temporarily represent serial-order information, is crucially involved in both native and foreign word learning, and perhaps also in sentence and text comprehension. The third and final part of the chapter explores the other direction of the interaction, by questioning whether language processing can influence working memory functioning. This question is addressed with recent behavioral and neurological evidence for a general executive control advantage in bilinguals, which makes a strong case for the trainability of some aspects of working memory.
This volume provides a state-of-the-art treatment of research on language attrition, the non-pathological loss of a language through lack of exposure. It combines a review of past and present research with in-depth treatments of specific theoretical and methodological issues and reports on individual studies. Special prominence is given to the identification of problematic areas in attrition research, with a view to pointing out possible solutions. The book specifically addresses itself to those who wish to acquaint themselves with the research area of language attrition, providing them with both a thorough overview of the field and a basis on which to build their own research. The combination of experience and an innovative outlook present in this collection, however, make it a valuable source for those familiar with attrition as well. Especially useful to both beginners and veterans is the extensive annotated bibliography.
This volume provides a state-of-the-art treatment of research on language attrition, the non-pathological loss of a language through lack of exposure. It combines a review of past and present research with in-depth treatment of specific theoretical and methodological issues and reports on individual studies. Special prominence is given to the identification of problematic areas in attrition research, with a view of pointing out possible solutions. The book specifically addresses itself to those who wish to acquaint themselves with the research area of language attrition, providing them with both a thorough overview of the field and a basis on which to build their own research. The combination of experience and an innovate outlook present in this collection, however, make it a valuable source for those familiar with attrition as well. Especially useful to both beginners and veterans is the extensive annotated bibliography.
The study of L1 attrition is currently entering its third decade. However, after twenty years of diligent investigation resulting in numerous theoretical and empirical papers the questions on this topic still greatly outweigh the answers. Findings from individual studies seem to indicate that it cannot even be said with any certainty whether an L1 in which a certain level of proficiency has been reached can ever undergo significant attrition, let alone how or why it might. This chapter will attempt to identify and clarify these issues, in order to establish the starting ground from which the individual papers will proceed. The first section will give a chronological overview of how the field of language attrition has developed over the past two decades, try to identify the concerns and forces that have shaped it, and point out developments and changes. The second section introduces those extralinguistic factors that have been shown to play important roles in attrition. The third section presents an overview of theoretical frameworks within which language attrition studies have been conducted, while the fourth section focuses on questions of research design. The final section is an outline of the structure and contents of this volume.
First Language Attrition examines linguistic aspects of the attrition or loss of first language abilities in bilinguals through a collection of studies in various language groups. The phenomena of attrition are examined at both the individual bilingual and societal levels. This volume is divided into three sections: Part I surveys different aspects of existing empirical evidence to arrive at theoretical generalisations about language attrition. Part II comprises group studies examining attrition in societal bilingualism or in groups of bilingual individuals. Part III contains individual case studies of bilingual children and adults. The research reported in this text investigates first language attrition in a variety of linguistic areas such as syntax, morphology, semantics, phonology and lexicon with the following first languages: Spanish, German, Hebrew, Dyirbal, English, Breton, Dutch, Hungarian, Russian, French and Pennsylvania German. Although there is growing interest in bilingualism, this is the first work to examine the effects of the acquisition of a second language on linguistic abilities in the first language.
First Language Attrition examines linguistic aspects of the attrition or loss of first language abilities in bilinguals through a collection of studies in various language groups. The phenomena of attrition are examined at both the individual bilingual and societal levels. This volume is divided into three sections: Part I surveys different aspects of existing empirical evidence to arrive at theoretical generalisations about language attrition. Part II comprises group studies examining attrition in societal bilingualism or in groups of bilingual individuals. Part III contains individual case studies of bilingual children and adults. The research reported in this text investigates first language attrition in a variety of linguistic areas such as syntax, morphology, semantics, phonology and lexicon with the following first languages: Spanish, German, Hebrew, Dyirbal, English, Breton, Dutch, Hungarian, Russian, French and Pennsylvania German. Although there is growing interest in bilingualism, this is the first work to examine the effects of the acquisition of a second language on linguistic abilities in the first language.
This volume provides a state-of-the-art treatment of research on language attrition, the non-pathological loss of a language through lack of exposure. It combines a review of past and present research with in-depth treatments of specific theoretical and methodological issues and reports on individual studies. Special prominence is given to the identification of problematic areas in attrition research, with a view to pointing out possible solutions. The book specifically addresses itself to those who wish to acquaint themselves with the research area of language attrition, providing them with both a thorough overview of the field and a basis on which to build their own research. The combination of experience and an innovative outlook present in this collection, however, make it a valuable source for those familiar with attrition as well. Especially useful to both beginners and veterans is the extensive annotated bibliography.
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This book looks at changes in the first language of people who know a second language, thus seeing L2 users as people in their own right differing from the monolingual in both first and second languages. It presents theories and research that investigate the first language of second language users from a variety of perspectives including vocabulary, pragmatics, cognition, and syntax and using a variety of linguistic and psychological models. © 2003 Vivian Cook and the authors of individual chapters. All rights reserved.
Studies of early language acquisition show that children focus on the language in their environment toward the end of the first year. This study concerned the acquisition of English and the loss of Chinese by a child adopted from China into an English-speaking family in Canada at the age of 17 months. As she was adopted after the age of one year, her switch to English might be expected to be slow and difficult. The child's production and comprehension of Chinese and English were observed from four weeks after her arrival. Her acquisition of English was remarkably fast, as was her loss of Chinese. These data suggest that the child's language acquisition was founded on already established social and communicative processes. Her previous exposure to Chinese may have allowed her to learn about language use in general, thus facilitating her rapid acquisition of English.
Properties of the maintenance and loss of Spanish/English bilingualism were investigated in 308 high-school students of Mexican background. Subjects were classified by their depth of familial establishment in the United States. The key variables investigated were their actual and self-reported proficiencies in Spanish and English, self-reported language choice behavior in various settings, and their language attitude. The largest difference in Spanish proficiency was found between the cohort who were born in the United States but whose parents were born in Mexico and the cohort whose parents were born in the United States, with maintenance of Spanish evident up to this group. Maintenance of Spanish proficiency was principally associated with adult language practice in the home, and was not predicted by the subject's language choice outside the home or their language attitude. In turn, adult language choice was found to be affected by the demographic fact of immigration, the adult's ability to use English in the home, and increasing distance in the familial social network ties to Mexico. Outside of the home domain, language choice was found to show rapid and constant shift towards English. This shift in language choice was unrelated to Spanish proficiency, but instead was predicted by the subject's language attitude. Language attitude also appeared to contaminate self-reported proficiency in both Spanish and English. Finally, a response latency task for vocabulary production and recognition in Spanish suggested that attrition of Spanish is best characterized as difficulty in retrieval rather than total loss.
The longitudinal study reported in the present paper examines L1 vocabulary decline by a child whose native language input effectively ceased after her immersion into the L2 environment. The subject of the study was a Russian girl adopted by an American family, brought to the USA, and completely isolated from any contact with the Russian-speaking environment. The analysis of the data was based on the results of picture naming tasks and reaction time measurements. Three groups of words showed high vulnerability to forgetting: high frequency words, cognates, and semantically convergent pairs (pairs of words lexically distinguished in L2 and non-distinguished in L1). Fast forgetting of these lexical items in L1 was related to the acquisition of their equivalents in L2. The comparison of noun versus verb retention/acquisition suggested that there might be a delay in L1 verb forgetting / L2 verb acquisition at the early stage of an extensive exposure to the second language.
Cognitive shift in bilingual au-tobiographical narratives: A case of Russian–English bilinguals. Paper presented at the joint conference of the American Association of Applied Linguistics and the Association Canadienne de Linguistique Appliqué/Canadian Association of Applied Lin-guistics
- L Isurin
Isurin, L. (2006, June). Cognitive shift in bilingual au-tobiographical narratives: A case of Russian–English bilinguals. Paper presented at the joint conference of the American Association of Applied Linguistics and the Association Canadienne de Linguistique Appliqué/Canadian Association of Applied Lin-guistics, Montré, Canada.
Tann i uue davno kupili bilety na koncert na vremm. Mooet, my zaskoqim posle koncerta? 14. Esli hoqexx pohudett, nado zanimattss sportom, iskllqitt vse muqnoe i sladkoe, estt mnogo ovowee i fruktov i ne zabyvatt pro vitaminy i proteiny
- Prihodite
Prihodite k nam v subbotu veqerom! -K sooalenii, Tann i uue davno kupili bilety na koncert na vremm. Mooet, my zaskoqim posle koncerta? 14. Esli hoqexx pohudett, nado zanimattss sportom, iskllqitt vse muqnoe i sladkoe, estt mnogo ovowee i fruktov i ne zabyvatt pro vitaminy i proteiny, kotorye nuuny nawemu organizmu.
Effects of the second language on the first. [Review of the book Effects of the second language on the first]
- Isurin L.
Isurin, L. (2005). Effects of the second language on the first. [Review of the book Effects of the second lan-guage on the first]. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 8, 245–248.
Toyota " slomalass, i nam prixloss vzztt v rent maxinu, qtoby doehatt do doma. 11. by tebe s radosttt pomog, no, k sooalenii, ne imee ni sekundy svobodnogo vremeni na nedeli. Mooet my vstretimss v sleduuwie vyhodnye? 12. Derevo roslo blizko k oknu i zakryvalo mnogo sveta
- Kogda
Kogda my poehali v otpusk, naxa " Toyota " slomalass, i nam prixloss vzztt v rent maxinu, qtoby doehatt do doma. 11. by tebe s radosttt pomog, no, k sooalenii, ne imee ni sekundy svobodnogo vremeni na nedeli. Mooet my vstretimss v sleduuwie vyhodnye? 12. Derevo roslo blizko k oknu i zakryvalo mnogo sveta, qto delalo dom temnym i mraqnym.
Sveta meqtala o buduwem, kotoroe sulilo tak mnogo horoxego
- Leea
- Na
Leea na pllle, Sveta meqtala o buduwem, kotoroe sulilo tak mnogo horoxego.
Corrosion " or " loss " of immi-grant Dutch in Australia: An experiment on first language attrition
- T Ammerlaan
Ammerlaan, T. (1997). " Corrosion " or " loss " of immi-grant Dutch in Australia: An experiment on first language attrition. In J. Klatter-Folmer & S. Kroon (Eds.), Dutch overseas (pp. 69–97). Tilburg, The Netherlands: Tilburg University Press.
Introduction: The changing L1 in the L2 user's mind Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters L1 loss in an L2 environment: Dutch immigrants in France
- V Cook
- K De Bot
- P Gommans
- C Rossing
Cook, V. (2003b). Introduction: The changing L1 in the L2 user's mind. In V. Cook (Ed.), Effects of the second language on the first (pp. 1–18). Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. de Bot, K., Gommans, P., & Rossing, C. (1991). L1 loss in an L2 environment: Dutch immigrants in France. In H. Seliger & R. Vago (Eds.), First language attri-tion (pp. 87–98). Cambridge: Cambridge Univer-sity Press.
Vozzmi avtobus #37 i qerez qetyre ostanovki ty uue budexx u menn! 8. pomn kak v detstve my radovaliss, kogda k nam v gosti priezzala tett Klava i privozila mnogo podarkov
- Ty
Ty sovsem nedaleko ot menn. Vozzmi avtobus #37 i qerez qetyre ostanovki ty uue budexx u menn! 8. pomn kak v detstve my radovaliss, kogda k nam v gosti priezzala tett Klava i privozila mnogo podarkov.
Language attrition in progress Dordrecht The Netherlands/Providence, RI: Foris Publications Language shift and loss in a three-generation Dutch family in New Zealand
- K Weltens
- De Bot
Weltens, K. de Bot, & T. van Els (Eds.), Language attrition in progress (pp. 37–49). Dordrecht, The Netherlands/Providence, RI: Foris Publications. Klatter-Folmer, J. (1997). Language shift and loss in a three-generation Dutch family in New Zealand. In J. Klatter-Folmer & S. Kroon (Eds.), Dutch overseas (pp. 195–214). Tilburg, The Netherlands: Tilburg University Press.
Paper presented at thejoint conference of the American Association of Applied Linguistics and the Association Canadienne de Linguistique Appliquee
- L Isurin
- Cook V.
- Schmid M.
- Lunder I.