Before she started school in the United States, Mita, daughter of immigrant parents of Indian origin, used to speak only her native language, Hindi, fluently. She then learned to speak English in school and attained fluency in both Hindi and English. However, as she grew older, she started to feel ashamed of her roots and gave up speaking Hindi altogether. This phenomenon is called ________ bilingualism.
A) subjective
B) relapsed
C) subtractive
D) retractive

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Subtractive bilingualism refers to the situation where the acquisition of a second language comes at the cost of the first language. In this case, Mita gave up speaking Hindi altogether, possibly due to a feeling of shame or pressure to assimilate into American culture. This can lead to a loss of cultural identity and disconnection from her family and heritage.

Before She Started School in the United States, Mita, Daughter