ATTRITION

The decline of competence in a language over time, usually as the result of contact with another language. Attrition is distinguished from language loss as a result of ageing.

Primary language attrition particularly affects immigrant populations, and arises as the result of extended exposure to a second language and of circumstances in which the first language is little used. Integrative motivation may also be a strong factor, especially in the case of children. Attrition may be indicated by a speaker’s inability to make grammaticality judgements in the native language, but is often evident in performance: in an inability to retrieve vocabulary, in a loss of native-like pronunciation, in the use of non-standard syntax or in a general lack of fluency. Attrition tends to affect production to a greater degree than reception, and may also vary between writing and speaking.

Some bilinguals show evidence of attrition as a result of employing one of their languages to a greater degree than the other. As grammatical competence in one language declines, the grammar of the other may become the benchmark for both.

However, an alternative phenomenon with some bilinguals is code switching, where the two languages become reserved for specific domains (e.g. one for the home and one for the school).

Second language attrition commonly occurs when a speaker has not had occasion to use a foreign language for some time. It is difficult to research because of the difficulty of establishing the level of competence in L2 prior to the attrition; but it would appear that lexis is more readily subject to attrition than syntax. Some commentators argue that language is represented differently in the minds of native and non-native speakers. If this is the case, then L2 attrition may be different in kind from primary language attrition.

See also: Ageing, Fossilisation

Further reading: Seliger (1996); Hansen (2001)

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