When Learning a Second
Language Means Losing the First
Presenter
Yanira Alfonso
Language Attrition & Language
Dominance: an introduction
• Why did I do a study on Language
Attrition?
• Personal Language Experience
• ESOL Students Shift Language Dominance
(Wong-Fillmore, 1991, p. 342
Consequences of Language Loss
• Korean Family
• Hispanic Family
Consequences of Primary Language
Loss
• Social
• Cognitive
• Educational development of language minority
children
• Integrity of their families
• Integrity of the society they live in
(Wong-Fillmore, 1991, p. 342)
Research Question
• Can I find evidence of language dominance
shift or language attrition occurring in my
ESOL students?
Background/Literature Review
• Research supports that ESOL children lose
their primary language
(Wong-Fillmore, 1991, p. 342).
CAUSE OF LANGUAGE LOSS
 Rejection of one’s own cultural values & Practices
 For those of the prestigious, dominant group
 Leads to second language replacing native
language.
(Lambert 1977; Lee 1996, p. 512; Wong-Fillmore,
1991, p. 323).
TO RETAIN FIRST
LANGUAGE…
 Parents and Caretakers MUST Commit to retain
language.
 By making choices that constitute affirmations and
reaffirmations of that commitment.
 Rather than a one-time decision regarding family
language practice.
(Schecter, et. Al, 1996; Wong-Fillmore, 1991).
Parents & Caretakers Must…
• Support for a strategy of maintenance
• Requiring constant reaffirmation as families
struggle with changes in their life
circumstances.
(Wong-Fillmore, p. 262).
The Most Critical Factor
 In predicting whether a language will be
maintained across generation is…
 LANGUAGE PRACTICE IN THE HOME
(Fishman, 1992, p. 263).
Methods
 Subjects drawn from Hispanic population in
the ESOL Ridgewood Elementary program
(pseudonym).
 All 13 Hispanic families invited.
 Eight out of the 13 accepted
Procedures
Parent Questionnaire - select subjects of
similar backgrounds
Language Assessment Battery ESOL
program entrance scores - students’ school
records.
Procedure cont’d
Interviewed students - perception of their
language.
Administered LAB English speaking part
and Spanish LAB.
Sent home tape recorder - natural home
language.
Final Four Subjects
Age:
Range 6 – 10
yrs. Old
Mean 8
Gender:
3 Males
1 Female
Grade:
Range 1 – 5
Mean 3
Years in the
US:
Range 2 – 10
yrs.
Mean 7
ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION
All Parents were Spanish Dominant
MAX’S CARLOS’ SAM’S LEAH’S
Q
Variable
Parents Parents
Parents Parents
#
1
Age on Arrival
18 yrs.
21 yrs.
22 yrs.
7 yrs.
b.
1
Length of
10 yrs.
9 yrs..
16 yrs.
25 yrs.
c.
Residence
1 English on Arrival
No
No
Yes
No
e.
1 Language used with Spanish
Spanish
Spanish Spanish
g. child most often
1
Language used
Spanish
Spanish
Spanish Spanish
when angry
1
Visits to native
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
k.
country
1l Frequency of visits Every 5Yearly
N/A
Yearly
.
to native country
6 years
1
Language most
Spanish
Spanish
Spanish Spanish
Results
Parent questionnaire
Home recordings
Student interviews all correlated with the
LAB results for all four students.
Sam’s Interview:
“When do you speak Spanish” (line 50)
“Do you ever speak Spanish anywhere
else?” (52)
“Uhm, to whom do you speak Spanish?”
(54)
“At home” (51)
“How about your brothers and sister. What
do you usually speak to each other?” (56)
“English” (57).
“English? Uh, do you think you speak
more English or more Spanish?” (58)
“Uh, I don’t know” (59).
“You don’t know? You are not sure? (60)
“Uh Uh (as in no)” (61).
“O.K. Do you think you speak better
English or better Spanish?” (62)
“Uhhh (as in expressing doubt), I don’t know
either” (63).
“What do you feel more comfortable
speaking? English or Spanish?” (64)
“Both of them” (65).
“Both of them?” (66)
“Yeah” (67).
“You feel pretty comfortable speaking
English and speaking Spanish? (68)
“Yeah” (69).
“Uhm (as if thinking) No” (53).
Sam’s Interview
“My mom and dad and sometimes my brother
and my sister and my other brother” (55).
LAB Good Indicator of Language Dominance
LAB Scores
Leah
5th
80
Sam
4th
85
Carlos
2nd
15
Max 1st
English speaking
99
42
Combined
Test
Combined
Test
Spanish
57
44
47
35
28
15
Combined
Test
Combined
Test
English (Listening,
16
writing, reading)
(Listening, writing,
reading)
Spanish speaking
LAB Scores Good Indicators of
Language Dominance
Language Assessment Battery
All Respondents
Table 6-2
Lea h 5 th Gr. / Born
in U SA (1 0 yrs.)
Sa m 4 th Gr. / Born in
U SA (9 yrs.)
1 20
1 00
80
60
Ca rlos 2nd Gr. / Born
in U SA (7 yrs.)
M a x 1st Gr. / Born in
U SA (6 yrs.)
Spanish
English S
English
0
Spanish L
40
20
Conclusion
• Final Analysis Variables:
•
•
•
•
•
Language preference as per parent Questionnaire
Language dominance &
Codeswitching (home recording)
Student Interviews (more & better)
English and Spanish LAB scores
Language Dominance
 First grader 5/6 Spanish Factors = Spanish
 Second grader 5/6 Spanish Factors = Spanish
 Fourth grader 5/6 English Factors = English
 Fifth grader 5/6 English Factors = English
Did I find Evidence of Language
Attrition?
No.
No evidence of language attrition was found
due to no previous base line of Spanish
language proficiency,
but dominant language was established.
However…
• Lower grades Spanish dominant &
• Upper grades English dominant
• Regardless of the fact that all the students
have Spanish dominant parents
• Allude to the possibility of the fourth and
fifth grader having experienced language
attrition.
IT’S NOT TOO LATE
• Students are young.
• They still can maintain
• or regain their native language.
• Parents can still make a difference!
The Difference Hoped For
• Personal Language Experience Led to the ideas of
this study.
• Making a Difference in the lives of children
motivates me to continue to learn about language
attrition.
• And share its impact.
• My hope is to make a difference!
Thank you for listening!