Abstract

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ABSTRACT

In this talk, I will discuss the process of second language attrition (i.e., change in language knowledge that occurs due to reduced language exposure) and cognitive development in Japanese-English bilingual returnee children (i.e., migrant children who returned to their first language environment after living some years in a second language environment). The studies I will introduce examine the interplay of language attrition and cognitive development from a quantitative perspective, using mixed effect models to examine what factors modulate the degree of attrition in bilingual children. The findings show that executive control, in addition to bilingual experience (i.e., length of residence and exposure), affect and may even offset the effects of second language attrition. This research contributes to the field by showing that selectivity in attrition can be explained by a combination of several different factors, including domain-general abilities.