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 SubjectsAge: Range 6 – 10

yrs. OldMean 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

Q#

Variable MAX’S Parents

CARLOS’ Parents

SAM’S Parents

LEAH’S Parents

1b.

Age on Arrival 18 yrs. 21 yrs. 22 yrs. 7 yrs.

1c.

Length of Residence

10 yrs. 9 yrs.. 16 yrs. 25 yrs.

1e.

English on Arrival No No Yes No

1g.

Language used with child most often

Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish

1 Language used when angry

Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish

1k.

Visits to native country

Yes Yes No Yes

1l.

Frequency of visits to native country

Every 5-6 years

Yearly N/A Yearly

1m.

Language most comfortable using

Spanish Spanish Spanish Spanish

 

Results

Parent questionnaireHome recordingsStudent interviews all correlated with the LAB results for all four students.

Sam’s Interview

Sam’s Interview: “When do you speak Spanish” (line 50)

“At home” (51)

“Do you ever speak Spanish anywhere else?” (52)

“Uhm (as if thinking) No” (53).

“Uhm, to whom do you speak Spanish?” (54) 

“My mom and dad and sometimes my brother and my sister and my other brother” (55).

“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).

LAB Good Indicator of Language Dominance

LAB Scores Leah 5th

Sam 4th

Carlos 2nd

Max 1st

English (Listening, writing, reading)

80 85 15 16

English speaking 99 42  Combined Test

 Combined Test

         

Spanish(Listening, writing, reading)

57 44 47 35

Spanish speaking 28 15  Combined Test

 Combined Test

LAB Scores Good Indicators of Language Dominance

En

glis

h

Sp

an

ish

L

En

glis

h S

Sp

an

ish

0

20

40

60

80

100

120 Leah 5th Gr. / Bornin USA (10 yrs.)

Sam 4th Gr. / Born inUSA (9 yrs.)

Carlos 2nd Gr. / Bornin USA (7 yrs.)

Max 1st Gr. / Born inUSA (6 yrs.)

Language Assessment BatteryAll Respondents

Table 6-2

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!