German proficiency measures in a Greek L1 attrition context

Abstract

This study concerns first language attrition among Greek immigrants in Germany, focusing in particular on the results of two German proficiency tests: a reading comprehension and a cloze test. The data collection took place both in loco, in the cities of Munich, Nuremberg and Augsburg, and during online interviews. The 66 participants of the study (41 female and 25 male participants) were selected based on the age at emigration (mean: 26.18 years; SD: 7.76), length of residence in Germany (mean: 16.23 years; SD: 9.7) and age (mean: 42.41; SD: 9.5). First of all, some data about the participants’ social background, education, L1 and L2 use and exposure will be presented. Then we will discuss the results of the German proficiency tests both with a quantitative approach and by focusing on errors and error categories in the cloze test. Finally, we will present some examples of mistakes made by the participants and draw some conclusions using a qualitative approach.