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Writer's pictureLuciana Antezana
Mar 212 min read

Language Loss in Bilinguals



Feliz jueves! ☀️ today, we bring you a presentation on language loss in bilinguals, thanks to the fantastic work done by our stellar undergraduate research assistant @lindseyysherman ✨


Language loss refers to the loss of skills in the first language, as a result of learning a new language. This occurs because learners have fewer opportunities to listen to, practice, or use the first language. It is important that when a second language is being learned, that the first language is actively maintained and used in order to prevent loss of skills.


In the US, it is common that when English becomes the dominant language, as it is what students typically hear throughout the school day. If families want to ensure the preservation of their heritage language skills, they should create opportunities for using and practicing that language at home (reading books together, conversations in the language, story-telling, clubs, etc.)


Bilinguals are continuously developing new expressive and grammatical skills in both their first and second languages! Transferring specific skills from one language to another may appear as a challenge, but errors and mistakes are normal - it’s a part of the learning process. There is NO sign that learning two languages puts learners at risk for delays or disabilities as a result of their bilingualism.


It is important to remember that each and every person is different! Language skills can and will fluctuate, but just simply being bilingual does not put an individual at any disadvantage in the development of speech or language development!


Have you ever experienced language loss of your first language? Have you seen it in others? Drop your experience or questions in the comments below 🧠💭👇🏽


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