2nd language attrition - Shades of gray and other matters

[Aurolyn Luykx]

Hi al,

Stan wrote:
 >From my perspective in Brazil, I think economics
> has much more to do with L1 loss than politics does.


That's pretty much what I meant -- politic-economic
reasons. My point to Hamo was just that it DOESN'T
happen for reasons inherent to language learning per
se.

> It is possible for individuals to retain two
> languages, but this usually doesn't last more than a
> few decades. Most communities don't feel it's worth
> their effort for everyone to speak both languages.

I don't think "communities" (or even individuals) make
their language choices on that sort of conscious,
cost-benefit basis. If people are socialized to learn
two languages, and have contexts in which their two
languages are used, they'll use them. This describes a
lot of communities in which people learn one language
at home for "domestic" use, but learn another as a lg.
of wider communication. Such situations may not
constitute a majority, world-wide, but there are
certainly enough of them (and enough that endure for
more than a few decades) that they can't be dismissed
as mere anomalies.
Aurolyn


		
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