What circumstances led to maintenance or loss of your “languages in the attic”?

Languages in the Attic: Constructing Your Language Family Tree

One way to recognize and honor students’ home lan- guages is through an activity called Language in the
Attic (Nichols, 1992).

You start by drawing a family tree on a plain piece of paper, with your name in the center. On one side you list your father’s name and then the names of his parents. On the other side you list your mother’s name and the names of her parents. Beside each family member, list the language or languages that each one speaks or spoke. Try going back as many generations as you can. What you end up with is your linguistic family tree. Looking at your language family tree, try to answer the following:
1. What circumstances led to maintenance or loss of your “languages in the attic”?
2. What family feelings have you discovered about your ancestral languages?
3. How have education, literacy, and employment in your family contributed to language maintenance or loss?

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