In the vast literature on language attrition, studies on the role of extralinguistic factors in language retention, particularly concerning foreign language (FL) skills acquired in formal instructional contexts, are scarce. We address this issue by focusing on the impact of the frequency of FL use, both extramural and in the classroom, and…

Verbal Fluency (VF) task total scores are widely used in language attrition studies, but they do not provide insight into the processes underlying optimal performance. We analyse the efficacy of clustering (subcategories within a category) and switching (shifting between these subcategories) strategies in phonemic (PVF) and semantic (SVF) tasks.…

This article examines indigenous language acquisition (ILA) with regard to the indigenous Yaeyaman language spoken in the Ryukyus in Japan. The focus is on teachers and new speakers in an endangered language community. The following two questions are examined: (1) What kinds of problems do teachers and learners encounter in language revitalisation…