The Quiet Fade: Migration and the Loss of Heritage Languages

For many immigrant families in Canada, the process of building a new life often involves the gradual disappearance of their heritage language, as first reported by CBC Toronto. This loss frequently occurs unconsciously as newcomers prioritize the dominant language of their new country to better integrate.

According to Nikolay Slavkov, a professor at the University of Ottawa's Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, some parents make a conscious choice not to pass their mother tongue to their children. This decision can be influenced by a perceived lack of value in the original language or advice from health-care professionals and teachers who suggest focusing exclusively on English. Slavkov, who leads the Family Language Advice Service, says he has encountered many adults and parents who later regret this loss, particularly when children are unable to communicate with grandparents abroad.

Sophia Smith Galer, author of *How to Kill a Language*, describes the phenomenon of "receptive bilingualism," where a grandchild can understand a heritage language but cannot speak it. Smith Galer explains that migration, alongside war and colonization, puts these languages at risk as subsequent generations adopt the dominant local tongue.

Despite these challenges, revitalization is possible. CBC Toronto highlights the De Esdoorn School in Vancouver, a Dutch language school founded in 2015. Principal Marianne Cauwels reports that the school now serves approximately 25 adults and 70 children across three locations and online classes. The student body includes newcomers as well as second- and third-generation Canadians seeking to reconnect with their roots, following a historical trend where Dutch immigrants integrated quickly and abandoned their language faster than other migrant groups.