Explores the extent of language transition and the resilience of immigrant languages based on data from south Florida. Results from 2,843 children of immigrants show that interest in and preference for English is very high and that preservation of the parental language decays with length of U.S. residence. Relationships of bilingualism and…

Examines patterns of language adaptation by second-generation students in south Florida and southern California. Finds that among most immigrant nationalities, knowledge of and preference for English is nearly universal, that only a minority remain fluent in their parents' languages, and that there are wide variations among immigrants. (DSK)