Open AccessL2 Lexical Attrition and Vocabulary Re-learning in Three L1 English L2 Japanese Children
Author(s) -
Jenifer LarsonHall
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
vocabulary learning and instruction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2187-2759
pISSN - 2187-2767
DOI - 10.7820/vli.v06.2.larson-hall
Subject(s) - attrition , vocabulary , psychology , home language , linguistics , developmental psychology , demography , demographic economics , medicine , sociology , mathematics education , economics , philosophy , dentistry
In this paper I review the evidence for the role of age in affecting second language attrition, and find it strongly supports a large difference in attrition around a breakpoint of age 8. I propose a Dynamic Attrition Model which posits that attrition sets in immediately upon the loss of contact with a language but the speed of loss differs depending on age. Three children who began their incubation periods at age 6, 8 and 10 are examined when they are re-exposed to Japanese 6 years later. All children showed strong savings rates but large losses to their L2 Japanese.