first language

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first language

A child speaks her first language with her grandmother.

Definition

Noun 1. One's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next.This refers to the primary language a person acquires naturally from infancy, typically from their family and immediate community. It is often the language of one's ethnic or cultural group and is usually the language in which a person thinks and feels most comfortable.

Examples of Usage
  • Noun:
    • Her first language is Spanish, but she speaks English fluently.
    • Children learn their first language through interaction with their parents.
    • The study compared the cognitive skills of bilingual children to those with only one first language.
Advanced Usage
  • "First language acquisition": The natural, subconscious process through which a child learns their native language(s).
    • Theories of first language acquisition are central to linguistics.
  • "First language attrition": The gradual loss of proficiency in one's native language, often due to prolonged use of a second language.
    • Some immigrants experience first language attrition after many years abroad.
Variants and Related Words
  • Native language (n): A direct synonym for "first language."
    • English is his native language.
  • Mother tongue (n): A common, often more emotive, synonym for "first language."
    • She writes poetry in her mother tongue.
  • L1 (n): An abbreviation used in linguistics and language teaching to denote a first or native language.
    • The study examined the influence of the learner's L1 on their pronunciation.
Synonyms
  • Native tongue
  • Primary language
Related Phrases
  • First language influence: The effect a speaker's native language has on their use of a second language.
    • The student's grammatical errors show a clear first language influence.
  • First language maintenance: Efforts to preserve and continue using one's native language, especially in a multilingual context.
    • The community program focuses on first language maintenance for the children.
first language

A child speaks her first language with her grandmother.

Noun
  1. one's native language; the language learned by children and passed from one generation to the next

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