Language attrition is the decline in proficiency in a language due to reduced use or contact. It can affect the L1 (in immigrants immersed in an L2 environment) or the L2 (when instruction or immersion ends). Crucially, attrition is not simply forgetting; it involves active restructuring of the linguistic system under the influence of the dominant language (Schmid, 2011).
L1 attrition occurs when speakers live in an L2-dominant environment and reduce L1 use. Manifestations include:
Schmid (2011) showed that L1 attrition is mediated by several factors:
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Age of emigration | Speakers who emigrated before approximately age 12 show more L1 attrition |
| L1 use frequency | Higher formal L1 use correlates with less attrition |
| Length of residence | Longer L2 immersion increases attrition, though the relationship is not linear |
| Attitude and identity | Strong L1 identity and positive attitudes toward L1 culture are protective |
L2 attrition occurs when learners lose contact with the L2 after a period of instruction or immersion. Research shows:
Cook's multi-competence framework reframes attrition not as loss but as reorganisation. The multilingual mind is a dynamic system, and changes in one language inevitably affect others. What looks like L1 "decline" may be the system adapting to new communicative demands, allocating resources to the language most needed.
Jakobson (1941) proposed that attrition reverses the order of acquisition: the last-acquired features are lost first. Evidence is mixed: while some L2 attrition studies support this pattern, L1 attrition does not follow a neat reversal.
Paradis (2004) proposed that attrition reflects rising activation thresholds. Items that are not regularly activated require increasingly more stimulation to be retrieved. This explains why attrited language knowledge often remains latent; rapid relearning (savings effects) demonstrates that knowledge is not erased but has become less accessible.