What can I do to prevent attrition?

If you have one native language and live in a country where another language is spoken, you probably get advice on a rather regular basis – in particular if you have children. The most commonly heard recommendations include:

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  Speak your native language more often, otherwise you will forget it!
• Do not speak your native language at all, otherwise you will not learn the second language properly!
• Never speak your native language with your children, you will prevent them from learning the language of the country and from integrating!

You will be relieved to hear that all of these well-meant bits of advice are entirely wrong. Click on the statements above to read why.