Abstract:
Language attrition, defined here as a non-pathological loss of a language in a bilingual
individual due to ceased or reduced language use, often results from linguistic, socio-cultural,
and psychological factors. First language (L1) attrition, its sub-field, has attracted much
attention. Most studies on L1 attrition have focused on immigrants in their second language
environment, yet scant research exists on L1 attrition in the L1 setting. Lexicon is often the
first and most vulnerable linguistic component to be disappearing, thus studies on L1 lexical
attrition abound. For China-based studies, L1 attrition mainly focuses on minority languages,
not Mandarin. To fill this research gap, this project used two lexical tasks to test L1 attrition, a
time-sensitive word decision task and a video retelling. 25 Chinese teachers of English
(experimental group) and 25 non-English Chinese teachers (control group) were recruited at a
secondary school in China. The aim was to provide an exploratory basis of the L2 influence
on L1 lexical attrition in the L1 environment, both on the level of lexical comprehension and
production. Linear mixed-effects models in R were used to analyze (a) response accuracy
and reaction times in comprehension, and (b) lexical diversity, density, sophistication,
accuracy, and variation in production. The results showed Chinese teachers' L1 lexical
attrition in the form of longer response time to correctly decide high-frequency Chinese words
compared to non-English Chinese teachers, Chinese teachers tended to use significantly
fewer sophisticated words and more codeswitching in their retellings. Also, Chinese teachers
were faster and more accurate in making correct decisions about Chinese borrowings from
English, suggesting L2-driven influence on their mental lexicon. Considering background
information, the data showed that increased L2 exposure and frequency of use can predict
the degree of L1 lexical attrition.
