The effects of heritage language instruction on first language proficiency: a psycholinguistic perspective

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of weekly heritage language (HL) classes on first language (L1) proficiency in speakers who arrived in the second language (L2)-dominant setting before the onset of puberty. Two groups of L1 Spanish Á L2 Swedish bilingual high school students living in Sweden participated in the study. One group currently attended HL classes once a week, whereas the other group was no longer doing so. The two groups did not differ with regard to the total number of years of HL class attendance, age of arrival in Sweden, length of residence or degree of L1 contact. Results from a grammaticality judgement test and a cloze test showed that the group that currently attended HL classes outperformed the non-attending group. Using a framework that emphasises heightened attrition susceptibility among speakers who lost contact with the L1-dominant setting before puberty, the study suggests that HL classes function as a factor that, all other things being equal, may counterweigh attrition susceptibility. Moreover, it is suggested that the effects of HL classes on L1 proficiency are short term rather than long term. That is to say, once attendance ceases the counterweighing effect is less visible.

Age Effects in First Language Attrition: Speech Perception by Korean‐English Bilinguals

“…Besides extending the domain of inquiry to different features in other bilingual populations, an additional avenue for future research on L1 attrition is in the role of L1 education, the only background variable besides L1 exposure that was observed to have an effect on attrition in the present study. This effect of L1 education (wherein more education was associated with a lower likelihood of perceptual attrition) converges with other research that had investigated domains other than speech perception (Bylund & Díaz, 2012;Hakuta & D'Andrea, 1992). However, whereas Bylund and Díaz suggested that the effects of L1 education are short term (i.e., do not persist long after the end of L1 education), we found consistent effects of L1 education even with a participant sample that included several individuals who were not currently engaged in a L1 educational experience.…”

Language use and investment among children and adolescents of Somali heritage in Sweden

“…Despite all of these above-mentioned limitations, studies have shown that participation in MTI has a positive impact on students' language and literacy competencies in the minoritised language (e.g. Bylund and Diaz 2012;Ganuza and Hedman 2017a), and on their school achievements in general (e.g. Ganuza and Hedman, forthcoming;Skolverket 2008).…”

Linguistic Foundations of Heritage Language Development from the Perspective of Romance Languages in Germany

“…High-quality bilingual education programs, where the HL is an official school language together with German, are rare. Bylund and Díaz (2012) analyzed the effect of HL instruction on HSs language proficiency in similar extracurricular HL classes in Sweden and concluded that these courses have a positive effect on HL proficiency but noted also that these effects are not longlasting. HSs who no longer attend HL classes are outperformed by HSs enrolled in these courses.…”