Wong-Fillmore, L. (1991). When Learning a Second

Wong-Fillmore, L. (1991). When Learning a Second Language Means Losing
the First. Early Childhood Research Quarterly 6, 323-46. [Judy Hicks, Abstract #2]
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.
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.
Comparison Sample Group
Main Sample Group
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.

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