Wong-Fillmore, L. (1991). When Learning a Second Language Means Losing the First. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 6

1. Wong-Fillmore, L. (1991). When Learning a Second Language Means Losing the First. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 6, 323-46. [Judy Hicks, Abstract #2] Comparison Sample Group Main Sample Group Study Rationale: Language loss requires explanation Research Questions: • Under what conditions and how do children lose their L1? • How does EO or Bilingual education contribute to language loss? Methods: Interviews of 1,100 families (conducted by volunteers) with 43 forced-choice and 2 open-ended questions. Approx 1/3 of the families (the comparison group) had children in Spanish-only preschools the other families (main sample group) were representative of the other L1s in CA. 98% of families had an L1 other than English. • Strengths: • Large N, exhaustive interviews, representative sample of families; main sample group and comparison group included • Detailed analyses on a number of dimensions (type of preschool, birth order of child, length of residence, primary caregiver, etc.) • Weaknesses: • It is impossible, from this data, to draw causal conclusions between language use in preschool programs and shifts in language use at home. • The comparison sample is all Spanish-speaking, while the main sample is all other L1s. This seems problematic re: cultural differences. • The study is descriptive, but it lacks an exploration of the “hows” of language loss and language learning. • Findings/Theories developed from the data • The younger children are when they learn English, the more dramatic the effect on language use in their homes. • Powerful forces for assimilation speed language loss. • Parents lose the ability to socialize their children. • Children should not be required to learn English until they have a firm grasp on their L1.