?au, Inma! Although I do not have any specific research on which to claim my judgment, I have read and heard discussed that with the second child the minority languages often don't take so well, as with the first. Whether this be that with the first child being, well, first, more time and effort is place on the effort and in total on the child, whether this be that at the time of the second or third child being born, the first child has already had an introduction to the majority language, and therefore it is already (somewhat) present in their speech, which would affect the later siblings... Whether it is just a matter of temperament and individuality of the child... I was the middle child, of two boys (I believe whole heartedly that gender plays a role, too) and so by the time I was two years old, my older brother was beginning American kindergarten and so there must have been some English being brought into the home, which certainly escalated over the years, despite our only speaking Latvian at home. By the time my youngest brother was two, my older brother and I were both in American schools. I remember a lot of hair pulling and shouting, "Run?jiet latviski!" (Speak Latvian.) My younger brother's Latvian isn't in great shape grammatically (word endings he often misses, throws in English words at liberty), although people who don't know us well, compliment him on it, for his not being surrounded by any sort of Lv. community in the past many years. This also probably had something to do with my parents, then with three children, needing each to work countless jobs and hours to support their family and so again less time was spent actually interacting as a family overall. Everyone in my family, however, is multilingual and so I have another case to cite. I have two cousins, both males, brothers. Their mother (Lv.), their father (other, English only), and the oldest is still very active in Lv. society and holds his Lv. identity, whereas the younger, who is more universal in his identity, had given up speaking, a long time ago... For as long as I can remember he hasn't spoken the minority language, although recently in meeting my child, he readily spoke/speaks sloppily to her (we live far away, so this is not often, and she is four). But my point being, he is the second child. I do think that children are very strong willed, for the most part, and certainly very much individuals. It could be a transitory thing, certainly, but it could be that she is of a different mold. It could be that she has chosen to be like or is more attached to her mother, and perhaps this is her way of showing her solidarity with you. Perhaps it is rebellion. It is good you are paying attention and I wish you all well.
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