Chapter 6. The lost word
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Lynne Hansen
Abstract
This study replicates the investigation of missionary vocabulary acquisition reported in the previous chapter in an examination of vocabulary attrition in the same population following the mission. Time since the period spent overseas is found to be the strongest predictor of returnee vocabulary retention, with words in the European languages retained longer than in the Asian languages. A male advantage in vocabulary maintenance is confounded by the gender inequality in L2 exposure time, suggesting a possible threshold effect experienced by the men in their longer time abroad. Affect is found to have an overall weaker role in lexical retention than in lexical learning.
Abstract
This study replicates the investigation of missionary vocabulary acquisition reported in the previous chapter in an examination of vocabulary attrition in the same population following the mission. Time since the period spent overseas is found to be the strongest predictor of returnee vocabulary retention, with words in the European languages retained longer than in the Asian languages. A male advantage in vocabulary maintenance is confounded by the gender inequality in L2 exposure time, suggesting a possible threshold effect experienced by the men in their longer time abroad. Affect is found to have an overall weaker role in lexical retention than in lexical learning.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword ix
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Section I Acquisition of mission languages
- Chapter 2. Language learning and teaching in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 13
- Chapter 3. The development of speaking proficiency of LDS missionaries 29
- Chapter 4. An examination of the effects of input, aptitude, and motivation on the language proficiency of missionaries mearning Japanese as a second language 51
- Chapter 5. In the beginning was the word 89
-
Section II Attrition of mission languages
- Chapter 6. The lost word 111
- Chapter 7. Vocabulary attrition in adult speakers of Spanish as a second language 135
- Chapter 8. Savings in the relearning of mission vocabulary 185
- Chapter 9. What counts in the retention of numeral classifiers in Japanese and Chinese? 203
- Chapter 10. Syntactic attrition in L2 Japanese missionary language 221
- Chapter 11. The measurement of oral fluency in mission languages 245
- Comprehensive bibliography of mission language references: Annotated 259
- Comprehensive bibliography of mission language references: Unannotated 263
- Index 267
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents vii
- Foreword ix
- Chapter 1. Introduction 1
-
Section I Acquisition of mission languages
- Chapter 2. Language learning and teaching in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 13
- Chapter 3. The development of speaking proficiency of LDS missionaries 29
- Chapter 4. An examination of the effects of input, aptitude, and motivation on the language proficiency of missionaries mearning Japanese as a second language 51
- Chapter 5. In the beginning was the word 89
-
Section II Attrition of mission languages
- Chapter 6. The lost word 111
- Chapter 7. Vocabulary attrition in adult speakers of Spanish as a second language 135
- Chapter 8. Savings in the relearning of mission vocabulary 185
- Chapter 9. What counts in the retention of numeral classifiers in Japanese and Chinese? 203
- Chapter 10. Syntactic attrition in L2 Japanese missionary language 221
- Chapter 11. The measurement of oral fluency in mission languages 245
- Comprehensive bibliography of mission language references: Annotated 259
- Comprehensive bibliography of mission language references: Unannotated 263
- Index 267
