The relationship between language proficiency and language attitudes Evidence from young Spanish-English bilinguals

To determine how attitudes toward the minority language change with age, sixty-five Spanish/English bilingual children completed an attitude questionnaire. Results show that first graders have roughly equal attitudes to Spanish and English, while second, third, and fourth graders increasingly state a preference for English. However, among fifth graders, a decrease in this preference for English is found. Results from a matched guise task show that the Spanish and English versions are not rated significantly differently, suggesting that, while children prefer speaking English, they may not project negative attitudes onto Spanish-speakers themselves. Finally, a shift in language preference is found before a shift in language dominance, which may suggest that negative attitudes toward the heritage language lead to a dominance shift.