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Summary
The study involves the problems of sociolinguistics since it addresses the problems of loss of native language by bilinguals. The topic is important for the study of language development because, nowadays, the linguistic community is especially aimed at preserving native languages and maintaining linguistic justice. This process is caused by the changes in the attitude of the minorities that are becoming the dominating ideology in Western countries. Bilinguals often experience shame connected with their native language and feel it is inappropriate to use their mother tongue in an official setting, such as in university. It leads to the attrition or loss of the language, which, in turn, reduces the number of languages worldwide. The present research aims to analyze the process of native language loss, in particular, the age when bilinguals cease to use their language and when they start to forget it.
Literature Review
Four sources have been analyzed in terms of preparation for the research described. The first article by Winstead and Wang (2017) addresses the shame that Spanish bilinguals experience while speaking their native language in some environments. It also describes the cases of language loss caused by people’s unwillingness to communicate in their mother tongue. Werker (2012) has analyzed the process of language acquisition in infant bilinguals. The article is relevant for the given research because it analyses the process of learning two languages from the earliest childhood. Levy, McVeigh, Marful, & Anderson (2007) examine the interference produced by the native language that causes the forgetting of the phonology of terms in the native language. Although the study is dedicated to forgetting the native language during the acquisition of a native language, it addresses mostly phonological levels. The given research has to be concentrated more at higher linguistic levels, not only at phonological ones. McFarlane, Cipolletti, & Weissglass (2020) describe bilingualism’s positive effects on cognitive abilities. The researchers provide a profound analysis of the beneficial consequences that it has on decision-making and judgment.
Proposal
The present research will address the number of questions related to native language attrition in bilinguals. It should analyze in which situations people tend to speak in their mother tongue and which situations are inappropriate for it. The research hypothesizes that bilinguals tend to consider the second language more prestigious and use it in official instances and business environments. If the hypothesis confirms, it will illustrate the linguistic injustice that forces bilinguals to forget their native languages. The study also should analyze the average age at which people tend to cease speaking in their mother tongue. In addition, the research should analyze which exactly language is forgotten. Perhaps, for the languages with large diasporas, the problem of language attrition is not so acute, as in numerous communities, people can speak the native language better than the second one. If it confirms, it will illustrate another side of the language situation and certain injustice that causes language loss and extinction.
Study Design
The study will analyze the natural speech of bilinguals who acquired a second language at an infant age. They can be either speaking one pair of languages or multiple languages. The participants will be randomly selected among children who attend educational facilities in areas with bilingual communities. The hypothesis is that the results will be slightly diverse for different languages. It can be explained by the fact that some diasporas are larger than others, so it is easier for some immigrants to find people who speak their native language. The research has to deal with their communication in a range of conditions. For example, people should remember which situations seem inappropriate for them to speak in their mother tongue.
It is proposed to analyze the bilinguals’ language habits in two steps during the research. During the first step, they can be divided into several groups. They will have to communicate on different topics. In one group, the bilinguals will have to speak about ordinary things, like family, hobbies, and so on. In the second group, the communication has to be more formal and involve business topics. The main confounding factor is that people can realize that they are being analyzed and behave not so naturally as they do in real-life situations. However, it is not expected to be a grave interference factor, as they should be interested in the research and why they forget their native language.
The methods to collect data will be based on qualitative research methods. As the participant will be divided into groups to communicate, the data will be collected with methods such as participant observation (Rahman, 2017). While quantitative research methods seem to be used more broadly than qualitative ones, as the research will be based on the communication process, researchers will be able to interact with participants directly (Rahman, 2017). Although qualitative research techniques analyze participants’ behavior and factors that influence behavior, some statistical analyses are expected to estimate the participants’ use of either language (Rahman, 2017). Finally, certain confounding factors, such as parents’ involvement during research, are needed to be considered to prevent muddling results.
References
Levy, B. J., McVeigh, N. D., Marful, A., & Anderson, M. C. (2007). Inhibiting your native language: The role of retrieval-induced forgetting during second-language acquisition. Psychological science (0956-7976), 18(1), 29–34. Web.
McFarlane, S. & Cipolletti P., & Weissglass, C. (2020). Thinking in a non-native language: A new nudge? Frontiers in Psychology. Web.
Rahman, M. S. (2017). The advantages and disadvantages of using qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods in language “testing and assessment” research: A literature review.Journal of Education and Learning, 6(1), 102-112. Web.
Werker, J. (2012). Perceptual foundations of bilingual acquisition in infancy. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1251(1), 50–61. Web.
Winstead, L., & Wang, C. (2017). From ELLs to bilingual teachers: Spanish-English speaking Latino teachers’ experiences of language shame & loss.Multicultural education, 24(3–4), 16–25. Web.
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