The role of input in language revitalization: The case of lexical development

College

Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC College of Education

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Language Documentation & Conservation

Volume

15

First Page

433

Last Page

457

Publication Date

2021

Abstract

Immersion programs have long been considered the gold standard for school-based language revitalization, but surprisingly little attention has been paid to the quan- tity and quality of the input that they provide to young language learners. Drawing on new data from three such programs (Kaqchikel, Western Subanon, and Māori), each with its own particular motivation, objectives, and pedagogical practices, we examine a key component of this revitalization strategy, namely the amount and type of lexical input that children receive. Our findings include previously unknown facts about the number of words that children in these programs hear per hour, the ratio of word tokens to word types, and the skewed frequency distribution of the particular words that make up the input. We discuss our findings with reference both to comparable measures for first language acquisition in a home setting and to their relevance for pedagogical strategies in the classroom.

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Disciplines

Arts and Humanities

Keywords

Immersion method (Language teaching); Generative grammar

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