Living Multilingualism: Examining the Lived Multilingual Experiences of L1 Portuguese and L1 English Immigrants in Switzerland: Bridging Sociolinguistic Experiences and Psycholinguistic Models of Language Development and Attrition

This research investigates whether extended life abroad erodes a native tongue, studying 75 Portuguese and English speakers aged 55 to 75 in French-speaking Switzerland. Evaluated through linguistic tasks and personal accounts, participants showed no widespread loss of first-language ability, performing within monolingual norms. English speakers achieved higher scores, largely reflecting advantages in education, employment, and language prestige. Despite preserved competence, many participants, especially Portuguese speakers, reported that retrieving words required more effort, that newer vocabulary felt unfamiliar, and that they feared being judged, showing that accessing a language can grow harder even as proficiency remains intact.