Second Language Retention

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the attrition and retention of languages. In the paper, attrition refers to a gradual or marked loss of the understanding ,or the ability to converse and communicate, in a language. The paper examines language retention, which is the way that language is acquired and maintained. The paper further examines the way that this retention is affected by various linguistic, socio-linguistic and psychological factors.

From the Paper:

"Another theory that is encountered in the literature on second language learning is the Frequency of Use theory. The theory refers to the view that things learn best are most often retained. A study by de Bot, Gommans, and Rossing (1991) of Dutch learners in a French environment found that language attrition was related to the amount of contact that the Dutch learners had with other people who spoke their language in the French environment. "They discovered that the length of time away from the Netherlands would not cause attrition for this generation of immigrants if they had many regular first language contacts."

Sample of Sources Used:

• De Bot, K., Gommans, P., & Rossing, C (1991). L1 Loss in an L2 environment: Dutch immigrants in France. In H.W.Seliger and R.M. Vago (Eds.), "First Language Attrition". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Fase W., Jaspaert K., & Kroon S. ( 1992). "Introductory remarks". In W. Fase, K. Jaspaert , & S. Kroon (Eds.), Maintenance and loss of minority languages (pp. 213). Philadelphia: Benjamins.
• Freed B. F. ( 1983). "Language loss: Current thoughts and future directions". In R. D. Lambert & B. F. Freed (Eds.), The loss of language skills (pp. 1-6). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
• Gardner, R. C. (1991). 3 Attitudes and Motivation in Second Language Learning. In Bilingualism, Multiculturalism, and Second Language Learning: The McGill Conference in Honour of Wallace E. Lambert, Reynolds, A. G. (Ed.) (pp. 43-64). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved September 17, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=86089648
• Kouritzin, S. G. (1999). Face[t]s of First Language Loss. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Retrieved September 17, 2006, from Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=26011577

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