在1980年賓夕法尼亞大學(xué)召開的“語言技能磨蝕大會”上，語言磨蝕被確立為一項新的語言研究領(lǐng)域。

語言磨蝕的兩種類型

Language Proficiency Level Prior to Attrition

Many relevant studies have shown that the higher the language proficiency level prior to attrition, the slower the rate of attrition.

許多相關(guān)研究表明，磨蝕前語言水平越高，磨蝕速度就越慢。

High level language learners retain a high degree of knowledge even when they do not use the language for a period of time.

高水平的語言學(xué)習(xí)者即使一段時間不使用該語言，知識的保留程度也很高。

In contrast, language learners who are just starting out can quickly regress to a near-zero level if they do not practice consistently.

相反，剛剛?cè)腴T的語言學(xué)習(xí)者，如果不持之以恒地練習(xí)，很快就會退回到幾乎零基礎(chǔ)的水平。

Age

Although the prime age for language learning is from birth to seven years old, children learn and forget quickly. The younger they are, the faster the language wears off. Why is this?

雖然學(xué)習(xí)語言的黃金年齡是從出生起到7歲，但兒童學(xué)得快忘得也快。年齡越小，語言磨蝕的速度就越快。這是為什么呢？

In fact, there are two explanations for this: firstly, peer influence is different. Psychologically speaking, children are extremely susceptible to peer influence and are reluctant to speak a foreign language if they are surrounded by friends who speak the mother tongue.

其實可以從兩方面來解釋：一是同伴影響不同，從心理學(xué)角度來說，兒童極容易受到同伴的影響，如果周圍的小伙伴都說母語的話，孩子就不愿意說外語了。

Secondly, adults and children acquire language in different ways. Children mostly acquire the target language through everyday communication in their natural environment and do not grasp its rules to a rational level, whereas adults learn language through deliberate practice and understand the rules of the language more thoroughly, so the rate of language attrition is naturally slower.

二是成年人和兒童的語言習(xí)得方式不同。兒童大多是在自然環(huán)境中通過日常交流潛移默化地習(xí)得目的語，對其規(guī)則的掌握沒有上升到理性高度，而成年人多是通過刻意的練習(xí)來學(xué)習(xí)語言，對語言規(guī)則了解得更透徹，語言磨蝕的速度自然就較慢。

Language Instruction

Explicit teaching methods are more resistant to language attrition than immersive teaching methods. The former allow learners not only know it, but also know how it comes, whereas the latter often only allows learners to know it.

明示教學(xué)法比沉浸教學(xué)法更能抵抗語言磨蝕。前者不僅讓學(xué)習(xí)者知其然更知其所以然，而后者往往僅使學(xué)習(xí)者知其然。

Once the immersive learners are isolated from the environment of language use, their language network that have not been built up through formal instruction is extremely fragile and vulnerable to disruption and attrition.

沉浸式的語言學(xué)習(xí)者一旦脫離了語言使用的環(huán)境，其沒有通過正式教學(xué)建立起來的語言網(wǎng)絡(luò)極其脆弱，容易受到干擾，不耐磨蝕。