The implications of language attrition for dynamic systems theory: Next steps and consequences

Abstract

The significance of attrition studiesWhilst initially scant attention was paid to the phenomenon of language attrition, the introduction of the model of Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) has suggested that languages are not only acquired, but also forgotten, that language growth, on which so much emphasis has been placed - compare the countless studies on first-language acquisition and second-language acquisition - is in many cases complemented by a process of gradual loss or attrition.This assumption is clearly evidenced by transitional bilingualism, where the growth of one language is frequently and manifestly accompanied by the decline in the other language. This phenomenon is generally observed in speakers who move from being (ideal) monolinguals in one language to being (pre-)dominantly monolingual in another one. However, a process of complete transition is never attained, but rather there is a process of incomplete transition resulting in the greater dominance of one language compared to the other language. Furthermore, the speaker's competence in either language appears to be subject to processes of depreciative change, resulting in a competence that appears to be somehow flawed. In contrast to this phenomenon we observe that, in spite of a radical change in their language environment, many speakers remain eminently bilingual, despite the fact that there might develop a degree of imbalance between the primary and secondary language of the respective speaker.We therefore expect to be able to observe gradual and less pronounced processes of language attrition taking place as the language system - which DST interprets as being dynamic rather than static - undergoes a process of transformation to meet the altered communicative needs of the individual. This assumption is plausible, but so far empirical proof of the extent and nature of the changes taking place within the multilingual system has been lacking. This is partly due to the traditional and many a time exclusive focus of research on language acquisition, particularly LI and L2, and the fact that investigating language attrition in the context of DST generates a whole new set of issues.When investigating the dynamics of language development, the process of attrition gains particular significance. Language attrition can be defined as 'the non-pathological decrease in a language that had previously been acquired by an individual' (Kopke & Schmid, 2004, p. 5). This definition does not provide an adequate insight into the dynamic and systemic significance of attrition, which is more specifically addressed in the more elaborate interpretation of attrition as the reduction or simplification of language systems and/or the impairment of access to them, which is furthermore assumed to be a normal, and frequently inevitable, aspect of language development and change during the life-span of a multilingual speaker.This volume provides the reader with a first impression of the implications of and insights into the phenomenon of language attrition to be gained from a DST perspective. The introduction to the special issue provided by de Leeuw, Opitz and Lubinska sets the frame for the discussion of language attrition from a DST perspective. As stated repeatedly in the special issue and in particular in the guest contribution by Schmid, Kopke and de Bot, the focus in most language attrition studies has been on the development of LI in an L2 environment. From a DST perspective, language attrition is defined as a result of the load being placed on the individual speaker, who is faced with the task of managing two or more language systems. As language attrition appears to be a persistent feature of multilingualism, but one that 'does not seem to progress linearly over long time periods' (Schmid, Kopke, & de Bot, this issue), we can assume that attrition phenomena are dynamic and, within complex DST, present research with a particular set of methodological problems. …