Network science reveals the early signs of L1 lexical attrition
Introducing the Lexical Attrition Foundation (LeAF) framework
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7148059 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Adel Chaouch-Orozco (0000-0003-0102-1754, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, corresponding author), Fernando Martín-Villena (0000-0002-7496-9055, Universitat Pompeu Fabra) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 43-53 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Bilingualism Language and Cognition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1366-7289 • E-ISSN: 1469-1841 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1366728924000063 |
| OpenAlex | W4391819086 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 66 |
L1 lexical attrition is the decline of L1 lexical-semantic abilities due to reduced L1 exposure and/or L2 interference. Semantic fluency tasks are central in this research, but traditional analyses are often inconclusive. To address this, we employed an innovative network science approach to investigate the bilingual lexicon's structural properties. Semantic fluency data were collected from immersed/non-immersed late bilinguals with comparable L2 proficiencies. Our results indicate that L2 immersion led to more integrated and efficient L2 networks. Crucially, immersion also resulted in L1 attrition (only evident in the network analysis). Immersed participants exhibited less densely connected and sparser L1 networks. Furthermore, network measures suggest that L1 lexical attrition occurs gradually, initially impacting network interconnectivity, while information flow and community structure remain more stable. Drawing from these insights, we introduce the Lexical Attrition Foundation (LeAF) framework, offering a network-based perspective on lexical attrition development and laying the groundwork for future research
Archaeology · Attrition · Lexical item · Linguistics · Natural language processing · Computer Science · History · Language Development and Disorders · Medicine · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Philosophy · Reading and Literacy Development
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| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |