Language Nests and Language Acquisition: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

This dissertation presents the findings from interviews conducted with language nest workers, teachers, language nest coordinators, administrators of language revitalization programs, principals and directors of language immersion schools that work in close proximity with language nests, and linguists involved in language revitalization efforts. The intent of this research was to learn more about the situation of language nests in the world today. Interview results included discovering answers to questions including but not limited to: • What does it take to establish a language nest? • What does it take to maintain one? • What are some of the differences between language nests that continue and those that collapse within a year or two? • What resources do language nests have? • How are language nests funded? • How much does it cost to run a language nest? • What are some of the challenges faced in running a language nest? • What are the language backgrounds of language nest teachers? • What advice do language nest workers have for communities considering starting a language nest? A second component of the dissertation research involved pilot studies to develop methods for assessing children’s language acquisition in language nests. These assessments were concerned with comprehension and production of basic vocabulary, basic coding strategies, and language-specific morphosyntactic features. This dissertation was not intended to be an acquisition study. Rather, it was intended to be a survey across language nest programs. This dissertation addresses acquisition as a topic in relation to language nests, and how acquisition studies at a language nest would fit into some of the extant literature.