Full Citation
Title: Native Language Attrition Among Immigrants
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2022
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Abstract: This study was a literature review, and it focused on native language attrition among immigrants. For many years, immigrants’ families have moved to places such as United States and Europe as well as Canada because of war, abuse, persecution, environmental degradation, and poverty from their home countries. Once immigrant families arrived at their designated country, their children were placed in school. Due to the struggle with the language barrier, kids and adults quickly started to focus extensively on learning the English language. The research took place due to the raised concerns of parents regarding their children's inabilities to communicate in their first language (L1) with families after learning English. Having worked with adult language learners at Project English and Giving Plus Learning, I witnessed the rise in parents’ frustration, concern, and confusion when their children could no longer speak, formulate sentences, or enjoy conversation with relatives in their home language. These parents did not understand why their children constantly spoke in English and rejected their native tongue. The literature review aimed to shed light on the significance of maintaining L1 among immigrants’ families while learning and speaking English. The review brought together all the available resources related to my project topic in place, and the resources were evaluated closely. In the review, there were six essential themes divided into sections. Each chapter focused on the method and findings of the themes. Major findings from the research studies highlighted that L1 attrition can take place instantly when the L1 is not being utilized. The studies showed that age plays a vital role in L1 loss because the earlier children were exposed to the English language, the higher the possibility of L1 deterioration, particularly with children who began English from age three to seven. Older children who spoke the native language from birth to age 12 and then learned English continued communicating in the L1 much better. The studies further pointed out that the English immersion environment helped immigrants practice and improved their communication in the L2. However, the L1 was hindered because immigrants’ children had less opportunity to speak in the L1and more in L2, as if it was their L1.
Url: https://red.mnstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1759&context=thesis
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Authors: Riji, Fawzia
Institution: Minnesota State University Moorhead
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Pages: 1-77
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Migration and Immigration, Race and Ethnicity
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