Tag Archives: language attrition

Challenges in Multilingualism – Navigating Language Dynamics in Multilingual Families

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Being or becoming multilingual has numerous advantages, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges.

Understanding and addressing these challenges is essential for successful language development and maintenance in multilingual families.

Let's look at some common challenges that arise in multilingual families and discuss strategies to overcome them.

 

Language Dominance

When one language becomes stronger or more dominant than the other(s), we have to do with language dominance. One (or more) language(s) become more dominant when language exposure, schooling, or societal influences are supporting the target language(s) more than the others.

To address this, parents can provide a more balanced language input, i.e. make sure that there is enough exposure to the target languages in terms of qualitative high verbal interactions. Furthermore, they can encourage language use in various contexts, and seek support from language professionals if needed.

 

Code-Mixing and Code-Switching

Code-mixing and code-switching, where individuals switch between languages within a sentence of within a conversation, is very normal among multilinguals and usually nothing to worry about. But while this is a natural phenomenon, it can be a challenge when we struggle with having conversations in one language only. In fact, when we notice that our children can not hold a conversation in the target, i.e. the expected language in contexts where a monolingual language use is necessary, we may want to reinforce some language separation strategies, such as setting language rules for specific contexts. These strategies have proven to be very effective not only with children but also for multilingual adults!

 

Language Loss and Attrition

Language loss or attrition can occur when a language is not actively used or maintained. This language shift usually occurs gradually. It can become a concern when multilingual children are not exposed to the target languages consistently over a longer period of time.
To prevent language attrition and language loss, it is important to create and maintain (!) opportunities for language practice. Engaging with as many people as possible in the target language, fostering a great variety of language input – from speakers with a various interests and language use (formal, informal etc.) and of course also keeping the contact with extended family members who speak the language can help keep children motivated to use the language. If where we live we don't have enough speakers of the target languages, we can use all kind of audio and video resources to keep the language as varied and interesting as possible!

In our Toolbox for Multilingual Families we share activities and games that foster understanding, speaking, reading and writing.

 

Limited Language Resources

As mentioned above, access to resources in all languages spoken within the family can be limited, especially for less commonly spoken languages or languages that are not transmitted in written form (like dialects for example). However, leveraging online resources, local community networks, language exchange programs, and cultural organizations can help overcome this challenge and provide opportunities for language exposure and learning. – Make sure to join my facebook group Multilingual Families where you might find the "multilingual village" you need!

 

Maintaining Language Motivation

As children grow older, they may question the relevance or importance of maintaining multiple languages. Especially those they don't need with their peers or to function in social settings on a daily basis. It is crucial to foster a positive attitude towards multilingualism in general, and to highlight the advantages of having language skills in multiple languages.
In my online course for parents of 10-15+ year old children* I focus on fostering this awareness in our preteens and teens with regards to communication, cognitive development, cultural understanding, and future opportunities.

Celebrating cultural heritage and promoting meaningful language use can enhance the motivation of our chidren (and us!) to keep using the language**.

 

Social and Peer Pressure

As soon as children attend daycare or school, and participate in society, they are more prone to face social pressure or ridicule for speaking multiple languages or just "other" languages. Depending on where they grow up, the community will be more or less accepting towards other languages and cultures. In more monolingual settings, using other languages and coming from a more diverse cultural background can cause all kind of reactions.
As parents and caregivers, we can help our children cope with those situations by building their confidence and resilience of being "not only... but also...". educating others about the benefits of multilingualism, and fostering a supportive social network can help counteract this challenge.

 

Balancing Language and Academic Demands

Although more and more schools support multilingual children, i.e. their use of multiple languages, there are still some challenges our children can face. These challenges have to do with balancing language learning with academic demands. Especially when the language and overall academic expectations are not met, or not met at the expected moment, teachers and parents tend to blame the multiple languages. It has been proven that in the majority of cases academic struggles have nothing to do with the number of languages a child is exposed to. It is usually an imbalance in support for the target languages and the skills related to language learning and subject learning that cause a problem.
Whenever we observe an imbalance that lasts longer than a few months, and exceed the usual transition period (when our children changed school and maybe even school language etc.), we should work closely with educators to create a supportive environment that values and integrates multilingualism into the academic curriculum. In my over 30 years of experience with working in international settings I observed that the problem usually stems from the environment the child is exposed to, not the child. Therefore I always invite parents to find ways to create an environment where their children's needs are met and where they can develop in the most healthy way.

 

Conclusion

I am a defender of multilingualism as I know about the advantages about knowing multiple languages. I have acquired and learned more than 10 languages and dialects, and 5 of them to a high level of proficiency (in understanding, speaking, reading and writing). But like everything else in life, knowing multiple languages also comes with challenges. But these challenges can be overcome with awareness, proactive strategies, and support.
Embracing linguistic diversity, providing a balanced and hight quality of language exposure, fostering a positive language environment, and seeking professional guidance when needed, are essential for successful language development and maintenance in multilingual families and I'd say "across the lifespan".

By acknowledging and addressing these challenges, we can create a nurturing environment that allows multilingual individuals to thrive and embrace the richness of multiple languages and cultures.

 

If you are multilingual and raising multilinguals, please let me know in the comments what kind of challenges you faced or are currently facing with regards to using or fostering and learning multiple languages.

 

*The online course for parents of 10-15+ year old multilinguals will be available in fall 2024. If you want me to keep you informed for when the course will be ready, please leave a comment here below. No strings attached.
** I am preparing a course about Motivation for multilingual families. If you want me to keep you informed for when the course will be ready, please leave a comment here below. No strings attached.

 

Can a country be too language friendly?

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Guest post by Artemis Pepelasi
We recently learned about the unique language situation in Iceland. This lovely country of the North could make the first place as the most language-friendly country.

The situation in Iceland

Icelandic society is very welcoming towards immigrants. The government helps newcomers, providing translators and mediators to them in order to smoothly adapt to the new reality. English is widespread in the country and used as the primary means of communication between newcomers and locals.
The Icelandic government follows the fundamental right to education: all children attend everyday school from early on once they live in a neighbourhood. Within the school premises, children are encouraged to use their first language(s) in order to feel comfortable and welcomed.
Regardless of the community and schools' attempts to help newcomers, Iceland faces a great issue. And that is a potential risk for the Icelandic language. Statistics have shown that many immigrant pupils still need to obtain their age-appropriate language skills in Icelandic, according to PISA [OECD, 2019 ], which leads them not to access higher education. In addition, many immigrant adults still need to learn the Icelandic language, and as a matter of fact, the language is used less and less in everyday life also by locals. 
© Ute's International Lounge, 2023

 

What we observed 

We had the opportunity to discuss the aforementioned situation with professionals from Iceland. We noticed various aspects which need further exploration. As a start, the government provides access to translators (face-to-face or via phone) to the newcomers. This policy proves the government's intention to foster an inclusive society and seems an ideal practice for newcomers.
However, that help is provided unconditionally and without any time limit, which creates a potential risk: If constant help is given for language translation, people will not see the need to learn the local language. Knowing that help will be provided regardless of the circumstances, they are not motivated to learn the language. Furthermore, they get the impression that learning Icelandic is a very hard and meaningless process. 
This attitude towards the language also might lead to less motivation for children to learn Icelandic. Parents seem to have low expectations regarding academic skills and success, which could lead children to have less motivation for school too—a vicious circle.
As for the children, by not being encouraged to learn the local language at home or in society, the school needs to support them in the language learning direction. However, teachers are concerned about students' transition to the new situation at school, so they provide constant help. As we got informed, teachers sometimes learn their pupils' languages and use them to give instructions. Furthermore, teachers also encourage interaction in English, as that is the international language which is available to everyone. So teachers' actions at school, accompanied by low parental motivation towards language skills, can negatively influence pupils' academic progress. This all seems to lead to under-education and causes pupils to be unable to attend the local higher education. 
Shifting the focus to society, another issue arises. The citizens born and raised in the county might feel that the situation threatens their heritage language. The risk of language attrition is apparent, and so is the risk of cultural attrition. This fear and frustration could lead to discriminating behaviours towards newcomers, which is the exact opposite outcome the government intended in the first place.
Language attrition is a common situation when an individual unconscious change occurs within an adult or a society. It happens when people use the target language or lose their proficiency in a language due to the lack of contact with the language ("Language Attrition", 2022). Multilinguals switch languages according to environmental needs. This coexistence makes the languages interact and influence each other (Kupske, 2019). So within communities that use several languages in everyday social interaction, the language used less frequently tends to be suppressed. 
The beauty of our world is the existence of many different cultures. And all these different cultures (so different perspectives of life) are unique and make our world colourful. Iceland tries very hard to be welcoming (and many other countries should recognize that). However, Icelanders are worried about losing their unique cultural characteristics, with the first being the language, through the unconditional help they provide. But then, where is the balance point? 
  • Which is a healthy way for them to retain their characteristics and also keep welcoming all the people they would like to live in their country? 
  • How can we keep the rainbow bright when living abroad or open our countries to other people without sacrificing our language?  
Inclusion has the perspective of interaction. We interact with others, which might change how we think and act, but always with respect to what we know and the way we already behave in our everyday life.
Inclusive policies are very important for every country in order for everyone to live with dignity. However, we need to structure the policies in a way that all people are free to behave according to their unique cultural characteristics and simultaneously respect and not suppress the local cultures. 

© Ute's International Lounge, 2023

About the author:

Artemis Pepelasi lives in the Netherlands. She studied at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Philosophy, Pedagogics and Psychology.  She worked as a therapist for children with developmental disorders and decided this year to strengthen her knowledge and is attending the master program “Parenting and Child Development” in Leiden University. She is currently completing an internship at Ute’s International Lounge.

References 
Language Attrition. (2022). encyclopedia.pub. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/37367
Kupske, F. F. (2019). The impact of language attrition on language teaching: the dynamics of linguistic knowledge retention and maintenance in multilingualism. Ilha Do Desterro: A Journal of English Language, Literatures in English and Cultural Studies. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-8026.2019v72n3p311

How to reactivate languages we have learned and we seem to have forgotten

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Did you know that languages we acquired from infancy or learned later can be re-activated at any time?

Even if we have the impression that we forgot all that we knew before, the process of reactivating them can be compared with muscle memory that allows us to ride a bike after years we didn’t practice, or play the piano after we stoped playing it for a long time. If we learned playing piano or ride a bike, or any other skill up to a certain proficiency, once we get back to it, our muscles remember what they need to do. And so does our brain and tongue and mouth, and our ear, when it comes to languages. The brain remembers the rules, our tongue and mouth helps articulate the sounds and words, and the ear helps us recognize them.

When people ask me how to reactivate a language they have learned before, I always ask:

• What is the reason for you to want to speak, read or write it again?
• If the reason is because you have to use it at work or because you’ll move to a country where the language is spoken, I ask : what did you like about that language?
• What are your memories of that language?
• What do you associate with the language?

The reason I ask this is because I experienced language attrition in my early twenties and later in my thirties again. The language was German, one of my L1s, the language my parents used to speak with me when I was a child. The reason I was losing it was because I didn’t like it, and I didn’t need it on a daily basis.– German has never been one of my favorite languages and the memories I associated with it were not very positive for several years which lead to this neglect.
I grew up in Italy and I perceived speaking German as something unpleasant and rather annoying. I was one of those children who would not want to respond in the home language. But as a teenager growing up in Italy I wanted to fit in and belong to the group.
The reason I started welcoming that language into my life again, was that I met other German speakers that were the kind of Germans I could relate to.
I also realized that I had missed speaking German, and discovered a side of the German language and literature that was pleasant.

But let’s go back to the questions:

If you want to reactivate a language, make sure to have a valid reason that is pleasant, enjoyable and that triggers curiosity. For me it was curiosity to learn more about my families history as well as contemporary literature and linguistics, movies, music etc. that made me focus on that language again.

I had good grades in German at school and was able to speak, distinguish different registers – formal, less formal and slang – read and write. I still could do read and write, no problem, but I was out of practice with speaking. Reactivating the language took me several weeks.

Let me share what helped me reactivate my languages.

1) Don’t expect to get back to where you’ve left in no time

Even if you still can read in that language or write emails or letters: getting back into the habit of using the language regularly needs adaptation. You need to make time for it, and invest time and energy.

2) Focus on topics you like
What you liked in the past, when you acquired or learned the language might not be appealing anymore. Choose to read books and texts that you are interested in, and determine what kind of vocabulary you want to use more frequently again.

3) Set your devices in the target language mode
I set all my devices in the language I want to support more. From the GPS to the operation system on my computer. I also watch movies, listen to music, play games in the language.

4) Talk to yourself in that language
Make it a habit to switch to the target language when you think about things you’re going to do, when you talk to yourself.
And try to talk aloud in order to get used to hearing yourself speaking that language again. Adjust the intonation. – It’s a very effective way to get the feeling of the language again!

5) Reduce code-mixing
At the beginning you might insert words of your most dominant language or languages into your target language. Try to take time to remember the word you would use in the target language instead.
If you notice that you are struggling with a certain kind of words – nouns, certain expressions, verbs, verb forms, adjectives or others – make a list of these words and form three to five sentences using these words right away.
For example, when I reactivated my English in my late thirties, I unconsciously mistakenly used “awesome” and “awful” interchangeably with the effect that you can imagine. I would say things like “that play was really awful! I so liked …” to the surprise of people around me, thinking I was slightly disturbed… Funnily awful had the meaning of awesome from 1300 until 1809, and this perfectly made sense to me: on a subconscious level I must have combined awe and full which clearly conveys a positive feeling and image in my head. But the meaning of this word clearly shifted and this shift had to take place for me too.
So what I did was to repeat sentences with awesome that mark the positive meaning, and play with the intonation of it and other sentences with awful with a clear negative meaning and another kind of intonation. – It helped.
If you make a list of the words you are struggling with, try to use them regularly in different contexts until you feel comfortable and confident using them.

6) Don’t feel ashamed when you struggle and make mistakes
When I restarted speaking French more regularly 3 years ago, I was shocked to see how little fluent I had become. – Unbelievable that after writing my PhD in French and most of my scientific articles in this language I would struggle speaking it! – But well, it  happened…
I started watching French TV channel, movies on Netflix and re-read to the x-st time novels and poetry and scientific articles.
Interestingly, my written French didn’t suffer as much as my oral conversational skills. The small talk and talking about every day things was what I mostly struggled with.
When I was asked to hold a talk in French, I noticed that didn’t need to prepare much as I still recalled the vocabulary and was still fluent in holding talks – and the topic was about linguistics/multilingualism.
As for every day conversations to flow again, I took the habit to sing along songs on spotify, watch movies and news in French, and spoke to myself in French whenever possible.

7) Give the language a place in your life again
I know that I don’t want to loose any of my languages again. I really feel the best, the most fulfilled when I can speak all my languages regularly. – I make sure to use at least three per day, and all of them throughout a week.
Giving all my languages all a place in my weekly life again, helps me to keep them all alive, and to enjoy them as often as I wish.
Maintaining them all – German, Italian, French, English, Swiss German and Dutch – is a real challenge for me. Especially because I want not only to speak them regularly, but also write and read in them – except Swiss German as it is an oral language.

When multilinguals are required to focus on one or two languages only due to work or to the linguistic environment they are living in, it requires considerable effort to keep them alive.

In the past 30 years I have experienced language attrition with all of my languages as I had major shifts that lead to the preference and dominance of one or two of them for extended period of time, and consequently the suffering of the other languages.

I know now how I can keep a certain balance among these languages and enjoy them all.

Have you reactivated a language that you had acquired or learned at some point?
Please let me know in the comments.

Read more:
Language Shift in Multilinguals