The Effect of the First Language Mother Tongue on Acquiring and Using the Second Language: A Case Study on Arab Immigrants in the United States

Abstract

Studies on second language acquisition reveal that younger children acquire second languages faster than older children and adults. Bialystok and Hakuta claim that “children are better second language learners than adults because their brains are specially organized to learn language” (p. 176). Studies still have debates regarding the optimum age for acquiring a second language and the effect of mother tongue on the fluency of second languages. The researcher conducted this study to investigate the effect of the Arabic mother tongue on Arab immigrants’ fluency in using English as a second language in the United States. The researcher used primary resources, interviewing 22 Arab immigrants in the United States, and secondary resources through literature review relevant to language acquisition. The data analysis of this study reveals that Arab immigrant children and adults encounter various challenges in using English in communicative situations. The study provides some recommendations for raising bilinguals at home.