Home Language

Imagine yourself as a young child facing a situation in which many people are speaking a different language. If you want to interact with other children you can do two things—stop talking altogether and use nonverbal ways to communicate, or use your home language, which may not be understood by the other children or adults. Some children opt to use their home language since it has been their only means of communication. In a study, Saville-Troike (1987) noticed that children in a child care setting continued speaking their home language to communicate with other children, who would in turn reply in their own language. This form of communication was generally effective when the children were playing. Communication broke down when the context did not supply enough information or offer enough environmental cues for meaning to be understood. Eventually, of course, children abandon using their home language with those who do not understand it.