Loss and Maintenance of First Language Skills: Case Studies of Hispanic Families in Vancouver

This qualitative study aims to explore the loss and maintenance of Spanish in Hispanic children in Vancouver from the perspective of parents. It focuses on the experiences of Hispanic parents of children either developing bilingually (Spanish-English) or monolingually (English). The primary method of data collection is the semi-structured interview. Data collected in this study support the notion that first language (L1) cultural identity is crucial to heritage language maintenance in the context of a dominant second language (L2). However, the data contradict previous findings that a narrow linguistic community and the input of one parent are not sufficient for L1 maintenance. The bilingual (i.e., L1 maintenance) children in the present study had L1 input from only one parent and limited L1 contacts outside the home. The data also show that the type of encouragement parents give to their children to speak the L1 can have a facilitating or a detrimental effect. Therefore, this article urges parents committed to L1 maintenance to promote a positive attitude in their children and to address their affective needs accordingly.