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“Die Muttersprache vergisst man nicht” – or do you? A case study in L1 attrition and its (partial) reversal*,1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2009

DORIS STOLBERG  and
ALEXANDRA MÜNCH
DORIS STOLBERG*
Affiliation:
Mannheim University
ALEXANDRA MÜNCH
Affiliation:
Mannheim University
*
Address for correspondence: Doris Stolberg, Anglistische Linguistik, Universität Mannheim, 68131 Mannheim, Germanydostolbe@rumms.uni-mannheim.de
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Abstract

Is it possible to undo or reverse language attrition? In other words, has there been, in the case of attrition, a permanent change with respect to the speaker's L1 knowledge, or do we only see temporary effects on the control of that knowledge? It is proposed here that the concept of attrition should include the temporary loss of language skills since it is, so far, not clear whether or to what extent once-acquired linguistic abilities can be permanently lost at all, particularly with respect to an L1. A reversal in the development of attrition after renewed contact with the L1 can support the claim that a decrease in L1 proficiency can be temporary, and that it is the accessibility of items and structures that is affected by attrition rather than the L1 knowledge (competence) itself. Our primary research interest in the present study is to analyze what skills and features are recoverable and what phenomena persist, (possibly) indicating permanent loss.

Type
Research Article
Information
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition , Volume 13 , Issue 1: New perspectives on L1 attrition , January 2010 , pp. 19 - 31
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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Footnotes

*

This research was carried out as part of the DFG research project Code-switching, Crossover & Co., headed by Rosemarie Tracy (University of Mannheim) and Elsa Lattey (University of Tübingen). We would like to thank Monika S. Schmid, Kees De Bot and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. Any remaining shortcomings are, of course, our responsibility.

1

Translation: “The mother tongue you don't forget.” This is a quotation from our informant, BJ.

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