query: reviving language in native speaker who has forgotten it

Fri Apr 27 20:03:01 UTC 2012

One explanation could be related to the critical period hypothesis in second language acquisition.  According to the hypothesis languages are most successfully acquired before puberty.  This (amongst other possibilities) could be accounted for by the brain having more plasticity before the onset of puberty and as such hasn't become fixed.  If this is the case - and i am being tentative here as the hypothesis has been disputed - then plasticity could also permit attrition of language as the linguistic parameters have not become set.

AM  

Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:04:22 -0700
From: rp537 at COLUMBIA.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] query: reviving language in native speaker who has forgotten it
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu

Dear colleagues,

This is indeed a fascinating discussion.  Is there any evidence that there might be some sort of psychological block that occurs in at least some of these cases?  My experience coincides with Judith's -- with the several students that I've had that fit this profile, there seem to be some remnants, somehow, but also immense difficulty when learning Russian.  In one case, the student had picture-perfect handwriting, and would occasionally unearth a word or two, but everything -- and I mean everything! -- else, from vocabulary to syntax to grammar, was a constant struggle and largely resembled, for both the student and me, hitting one's head against a brick wall.  I would love some insight.

All best,

Rebecca

--
Rebecca Pyatkevich, PhD
Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in Russian
Department of Foreign Languages
0615 SW Palatine Hill Road, MSC 30
Lewis and Clark College

Portland OR 97219

On Apr 27, 2012, at 9:58 AM, Lila W. Zaharkov wrote:

I had a similar experience with a student.  It’s just now like an American taking Russian for the first time.  It’s GONE!!!  Lila Zaharkov  Wittenberg University

From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [mailto:SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of KALB, JUDITH
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2012 12:40 PM
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: [SEELANGS] query: reviving language in native speaker who has forgotten it

Dear colleagues,
I wonder if any of you can help me with a student who was born in Russia, adopted at age 8 after a very difficult stint in an orphanage, grew up in NY, and is now enrolled in first-year Russian language.  He does not remember his Russian but is interested in reviving it.  He has had a lot of trouble with grammar, reading, etc., but when I have him listen to conversations, etc., he can repeat them beautifully—so the language is still somewhere in there, apparently.  He’s interested in working over the summer to try to get further with it.  Do you have suggestions on methods, programs, etc. that might be helpful?
Many thanks!
Judith

Dr. Judith E. Kalb
Associate Professor of Russian and Comparative Literature
Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
jkalb at sc.edu

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