L1 Attrition Resulting from L2 Domination A case Study of an EFL Young Learner

This case study examined the phenomena of language attrition and acquisition. The objectives of the study were to describe how an EFL young learner lost her L1, but at the same time acquired another language, as well as the factors that cause them. The case of this study was a 9-year-old EFL learner. The instruments used in the study were, interview and observation. This study showed that the girl was exposed to her L1 during the speech delay period , therefore, she does not comprehend her L1 too well. On the contrary, she speaks Arabic fluently. As for the factors influencing her language attrition and acquisition, it was found that the age when she was exposed to the language plays a crucial role in determining the level of fluency of each language she acquires, and the exposure frequency with the new languages also plays an important role in her language acquisition. This aligns with the interference hypothesis, which suggests that attrition is caused by the growing influence of the dominant second language (Köpke & Schmid, 2004). This study also revealed that the case was considered a right-brain dominant child, and she subconsciously imitated the native English pronunciation and accent from watching videos on YouTube. It also indicated that she experiences the language attrition as the role of her speech delay in her language development provides more with L2 than L1.