Language Attrition

“This excellent set of articles is the second out of Amsterdam dealing with the important but understudied subject of loss of skill in first learned languages. The topic is of particular importance as Europe treasures its multilingual heritage and watches important aspects of it decay. The emphasis is essentially on linguistic theory rather than ethnography or language features lost. Subjects dealt with include what attrition says about theories of Universal Grammar, the overriding importance of first language imprints, language interference, language learning, forgetting and the brain, the role of early vs. later bilingualism, and a brief treatment of rejuvenation. In the main, the focus is on the loss of first languages. Perhaps in the next go-round, the loss of skills in second languages, particularly those learned in school, will be addressed. This is a subject of vital national importance, particularly to Americans. Since this field was created in the early 1980, a rich and vibrant research literature has developed. This book gives some indication of the quality and extent of that literature.”

“Cutting-edge research that pushes the envelope on the impact of first language attrition on a wide variety of topics in theoretical linguistics, first and second language acquisition, bilingualism, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics. ”

“This volume provides important insights into the processes of first language attrition. Through a wide array of topics and theoretical percpectives, it shows that language attrition is another window into the workings of the bilingual mind and therefore must have a place in an integrated picture of bilingual language development. This book will be of great interest to both specialists and novices in the field of bilingualism.”