Interpretation of NPs in generic and existential contexts in L3 Brazilian Portuguese

This paper examines the interpretation of NPs in generic and existential contexts in the acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese (BrP) as a third language (L3) by learners who speak English and a Romance language (Spanish, French or Italian). The paper examines whether transfer / cross-linguistic influence is from English, Spanish/French/Italian, or both, and whether it matters which language is the learners’ first language (L1) vs. their second language (L2). An Acceptability Judgment Task of NP interpretation in BrP is administered to L1-English L2-Spanish/French/Italian and L1-Spanish L2-English learners of BrP as an L3, as well as to a control group of native speakers of BrP. The findings point to a nuanced picture of transfer in L3 acquisition, in which both languages can serve as the source of transfer, but transfer from a previously learned Romance language is more pronounced than transfer from English, both for L1-English L2-Romance and L1-Spanish L2-English L3-learners of BrP.

Download Full-text

On some null subject parameter-related properties in the L3 acquisition of brazilian portuguese (Sobre algumas propriedades relacionadas ao parâmetro do sujeito nulo na aquisição do português brasileiro como L3 )

Estudos da língua(gem) ◽

10.22481/el.v7i2.1096 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 199 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Silvina Montrul ◽

Rejane Dias ◽

Hélade Santos

Keyword(s):

Language Change ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Control Group ◽

Null Subject ◽

L3 Acquisition ◽

Null Subject Parameter ◽

English Speaking ◽

L1 English

As language undergoing language change, Brazilian Portuguese presents characteristics of both pro-drop and non-pro drop systems. This study investigates the acquisition of two properties assumed to be related to the null subject parameter—clitic-climbing and the that-t effect—by adult learners of Brazilian Portuguese who speak a pro-drop language (Spanish) (n = 11) and a non pro-drop language (English) (n =19) as either L1 or L2. Results of an acceptability judgment task showed that the non-native speakers overall converged on the grammars of the Brazilian Portuguese control group (n =19), but there were transfer effects from Spanish for the L1-Spanish speaking learners and from both Spanish and English in the L1-English speaking learners. We discuss the implications of these findings for the role of transfer in L3 acquisition.KEYWORDS: Null subject parameter. L3 acquisition. Brazilian Portuguese. RESUMO O português brasileiro, por estar em processo de mudanças, apresenta características tanto de sistemas pro-drop quanto de sistemas não pro-drop. Este estudo investiga a aquisição de duas propriedades que se assume que estão relacionadas ao parâmetro do sujeito nulo – a subida de clítico e o efeito that-t– por adultos aprendizes do português brasileiro, falantes de uma língua pro-drop (espanhol) (n = 11) e de uma língua não pro-drop (inglês) (n = 19), seja como L1 ou como L2. Os resultados de um teste de julgamento de aceitabilidade mostraram que, em geral, os falantes não nativos tenderam à/se aproximaram da gramática do grupo de controle formado por falantes de português brasileiro (n = 19). Porém, observaram-se efeitos de transferência do espanhol para os aprendizes falantes nativos de espanhol e transferências de ambas as línguas, espanhol e inglês, para os aprendizes falantes nativos de inglês. Discutimos as implicações destes resultados para o papel da transferência na aquisição de L3.PALAVRAS-CHAVES: Parâmetro do sujeito nulo. Aquisição de L3. Português brasileiro.

Download Full-text

Transfer at the initial stages of L3 Brazilian Portuguese: A look at three groups of English/Spanish bilinguals

Bilingualism Language and Cognition ◽

10.1017/s1366728914000339 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 191-207 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

DAVID GIANCASPRO ◽

BECKY HALLORAN ◽

MICHAEL IVERSON

Keyword(s):

First Language ◽

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Mirror Image ◽

Linguistic Features ◽

Third Language ◽

Heritage Speaker ◽

L3 Acquisition ◽

Object Marking ◽

L1 English ◽

Spanish Bilinguals

This study examines three formal linguistic acquisition models of third language (L3) acquisition in the context of Brazilian Portuguese (BP), specifically examining Differential Object Marking (DOM). The main goal is to determine which of the models is best able to predict and explain syntactic transfer in three experimental groups: mirror-image groups of first/second language (L1/L2) English/Spanish bilinguals (i) L1 English/L2 Spanish and (ii) L1 Spanish/L2 English, and (iii) heritage Spanish/English bilinguals. The data provide evidence to support the Typological Primacy Model (Rothman, 2010, 2011, 2013), which predicts Spanish transfer irrespective of its status as an L1, L2 or bilingual first language (2L1). Additionally, the heritage speaker and L1 English group results, taken together, provide evidence for Iverson's (2009) claim that comparing such populations adds independent supportive evidence that the acquisition of linguistic features or properties in an L2 acquired past puberty is not subject to a maturational critical period.

Download Full-text

L3 syntactic transfer selectivity and typological determinacy: The typological primacy model

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658310386439 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 107-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 147

Author(s):

Jason Rothman

Keyword(s):

Present Article ◽

English Learners ◽

First Language ◽

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

The Other ◽

English Speakers ◽

Third Language ◽

Proficiency Level ◽

L2 Spanish ◽

L1 English

The present article addresses the following question: what variables condition syntactic transfer? Evidence is provided in support of the position that third language (L3) transfer is selective, whereby, at least under certain conditions, it is driven by the typological proximity of the target L3 measured against the other previously acquired linguistic systems (cf. Rothman and Cabrelli Amaro, 2007, 2010; Rothman, 2010; Montrul et al., 2011). To show this, we compare data in the domain of adjectival interpretation between successful first language (L1) Italian learners of English as a second language (L2) at the low to intermediate proficiency level of L3 Spanish, and successful L1 English learners of L2 Spanish at the same levels for L3 Brazilian Portuguese. The data show that, irrespective of the L1 or the L2, these L3 learners demonstrate target knowledge of subtle adjectival semantic nuances obtained via noun-raising, which English lacks and the other languages share. We maintain that such knowledge is transferred to the L3 from Italian (L1) and Spanish (L2) respectively in light of important differences between the L3 learners herein compared to what is known of the L2 Spanish performance of L1 English speakers at the same level of proficiency (see, for example, Judy et al., 2008; Rothman et al., 2010). While the present data are consistent with Flynn et al.’s (2004) Cumulative Enhancement Model, we discuss why a coupling of these data with evidence from other recent L3 studies suggests necessary modifications to this model, offering in its stead the Typological Primacy Model (TPM) for multilingual transfer.

Download Full-text

Source(s) of syntactic cross-linguistic influence (CLI): The case of L3 acquisition of English possessives by Mazandarani–Persian bilinguals

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658315618009 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 225-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Nader Fallah ◽

Ali Akbar Jabbari ◽

Ali Mohammad Fazilatfar

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

First Language ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Third Language ◽

The Third ◽

Grammaticality Judgment ◽

L3 Acquisition

This study investigates the role of previously acquired linguistic systems, Mazandarani and Persian, in the acquisition of third language (L3) English at the initial stages. The data have been obtained from 31 students (age 13–14 years), testing the placement of attributive possessives in a grammaticality judgment task, an element rearrangement task and an elicited oral imitation task. The participants consist of three groups: The first two groups have Mazandarani as the first language (L1) and Persian as the second language (L2), but differ from each other with respect to the language of communication, Mazandarani and Persian, respectively. The third group has Persian as the L1 and Mazandarani as the L2, with Persian as the language of communication. English and Mazandarani pattern similarly in the target structures. That is to say, possessors precede possessed nouns and possessive adjectives come before nouns. In contrast, in Persian, possessives occur post-nominally. The results of this study reveal that none of the proposals tested (e.g. the L1 Factor, Hermas, 2010, 2014a, 2014b; the L2 Status Factor, Bardel and Falk, 2007; Falk and Bardel, 2011; the Cumulative Enhancement Model (CEM), Flynn et al., 2004; the Typological Proximity Model (TPM), Rothman, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015) could account for the results obtained. This study provides support that at the initial stages of L3 acquisition, syntactic transfer originates from the language of communication, irrespective of order of acquisition.

Download Full-text

The acquisition of object movement in Dutch: L1 transfer and near-native grammars at the syntax–discourse interface

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658318782357 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 (4) ◽

pp. 479-504 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Liz Smeets

Keyword(s):

Native Speakers ◽

First Language ◽

Judgment Task ◽

L2 Acquisition ◽

Value Judgment ◽

L1 Transfer ◽

Object Movement ◽

Target Performance ◽

Discourse Interface ◽

L1 English

This article investigates near-native grammars at the syntax–discourse interface by examining the second language (L2) acquisition of two different domains of object movement in Dutch, which exhibit syntax–discourse or syntax–semantics level properties. English and German near-native speakers of Dutch, where German but not English allows the same mapping strategies as Dutch in the phenomena under investigation, are tested on two felicity judgment tasks and a truth value judgment task. The results from the English participants show sensitivity to discourse information on the acceptability of non-canonical word orders, but only when the relevant discourse cues are sufficiently salient in the input. The acquisition of semantic effects on object movement was native-like for a large subset of the participants. The German group performed on target in all experiments. The results are partially in line with previous studies reporting L2 convergence at the syntax–discourse interface, but suggest that input effects should also be taken into account. Furthermore, the differences between the first language (L1) English and the L1 German group suggests that non-target performance at the syntax–discourse interface is not caused by general bilingual difficulties in integrating discourse information into syntax. The article elaborates on factors that contribute to (in)complete acquisition at the syntax–discourse interface.

Download Full-text

Clitics and object expression in the L3 acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese: Structural similarity matters for transfer

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658310386649 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 21-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Silvina Montrul ◽

Rejanes Dias ◽

Hélade Santos

Keyword(s):

Experimental Studies ◽

Structural Similarity ◽

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Third Language ◽

Oral Production ◽

Null Objects ◽

L3 Acquisition ◽

English Speaking ◽

L1 And L2

This article addresses the role of previously acquired languages in the acquisition of a third language (L3) in two experimental studies on object expression in Brazilian Portuguese (BP). Participants were English-speaking learners of BP as L3 with knowledge of Spanish as a second language (L2) and Spanish-speaking learners of BP with knowledge of English as L2. Like Spanish, BP has object clitic pronouns, but there are important differences between the two languages with respect to the rates of clitics used in spoken and written registers, null objects and the position of clitics with respect to the verb. English, by contrast, lacks object clitics. Study 1 tested use of clitics and other objects in an oral production task. Study 2 tested knowledge of clitic placement in a written acceptability judgment task. The general results of the two studies show that acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese object expression is not very problematic but there are transfer effects from Spanish (as L1 and L2) in the two experimental groups. This result suggests that structural similarity or cross-linguistic correspondences matter in L3 acquisition.

Download Full-text

Polarity-item anything in L3 English: Where does transfer come from when the L1 is Catalan and the L2 is Spanish?

Second language Research ◽

10.1177/0267658317747926 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 34 (4) ◽

pp. 487-515 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Eloi Puig-Mayenco ◽

Heather Marsden

Keyword(s):

First Language ◽

Age Of Acquisition ◽

Judgment Task ◽

English Speakers ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Polarity Item ◽

L1 Transfer ◽

Third Language ◽

L3 Acquisition ◽

Different Response

This study explores the source of transfer in third language (L3) English by two distinct groups of Catalan–Spanish bilinguals, simultaneous bilinguals and late bilinguals. Our study addresses two research questions: (1) Does transfer come from the first language (L1), the second language (L2), or both? and (2) Does age of acquisition of the L2 affect how transfer occurs? We compare beginner and advanced English speakers from both L3 groups with beginner and advanced L1-Spanish L2-English speakers, and find that, on an acceptablity judgment task that investigates knowledge of the distribution of polarity item anything, the two L3 groups demonstrate a different response pattern from the L2 group. The results suggest that both L3 groups transfer from Catalan, and not from their L2, Spanish. Additionally, the cross-sectional nature of the study shows that negative transfer from the initial stages of acquisition is overcome to different extents by the L3 vs. the L2 groups. We conclude that the results show strong evidence against the L2 status factor (Bardel and Falk, 2007, 2012) and the cumulative enhancement (Flynn et al., 2004) models of L3 acquisition, while they can be accounted for by the typological primacy model (Rothman, 2010, 2011, 2015), although other models that predict L1 transfer in L3 acquisition are not ruled out. Further, our findings show no effect of age of acquisition of the L2 on L3 development.

Download Full-text

Why is “John Ran to the House” the Same as “John Went to the House Running” in Arabic?

International Journal of English Linguistics ◽

10.5539/ijel.v10n3p189 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 189

Author(s):

Hanan M. Kabli

Keyword(s):

Native Speakers ◽

First Language ◽

Native English Speakers ◽

Judgment Task ◽

Boundary Crossing ◽

English Speakers ◽

Control Group ◽

L1 Influence ◽

Advanced Proficiency ◽

Group Control Group

The study explores how Arabic has the same conflation pattern characteristics as English even though it belongs to Verb-framed Languages. A focused-group approach is used to evaluate the effect of the first language (L1) and the potential role of proficiency in the acquisition of the English directional preposition ‘to’ with manner-of-motion to goal construction. One group consists of Saudi speakers at two levels of development; an intermediate and advanced proficiency levels; whereas, the second group (control group) comprises of English native speakers. Acceptability Judgment Task associated with video animation clips is designed to elicit participants’ judgments in the depicted event. Results indicated that the intermediate Saudi speakers accept the directional preposition ‘to’ with and without boundary-crossing event, as is the case of their L1, which was opposite for the advanced and native English speakers for the without boundary-crossing event. The advanced Saudi speakers accept the constructions of encoding the manner with the motion and expressing the manner as the complement depicting an appropriate description of the event, reflecting L1 influence. All the group’s judgment varies based on the acceptance to conflate the manner with the motion overexpressing manner as a complement in an event without boundary-crossing.

Download Full-text

Semantic priming effects and lexical access in English as L3

Gragoatá ◽

10.22409/gragoata.2018n46a1133 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (46) ◽

pp. 354

Author(s):

Pâmela Freitas Pereira Toassi ◽

Mailce Borges Mota

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Lexical Access ◽

Picture Naming ◽

Native Speakers ◽

Naming Task ◽

Masked Priming ◽

Brazilian Portuguese ◽

Target Language ◽

Control Group ◽

Third Language

We report an experiment using a picture-naming task within the masked priming paradigm to examine lexical access in English as a third language. Participants were assigned to one of three groups: a control group, consisting of native speakers of English, and two experimental groups, one consisting of speakers of English as L2 and the other consisting of speakers of German as L2 and English as L3. Participants of the two experimental groups were native speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. All participants performed a picture-naming task in English in which pictures were preceded by a masked prime word in the target language (English), in the native language (Brazilian Portuguese) or in the second language (German). The results indicate some interference from the participants’ second language in the production of their third language (English), favoring the view that lexical access of multilinguals is qualitatively different from that of bilinguals and monolinguals.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Efeitos de priming semântico e acesso lexical em inglês como L3Reporta-se, neste artigo, os resultados de um experimento que investigou o acesso lexical em inglês como terceira língua por meio de uma tarefa de nomeação de figuras no paradigma de priming mascarado. Os participantes foram organizados em três grupos: um grupo controle, formado por falantes nativos de inglês, e dois grupos experimentais, sendo um formado por falantes de inglês como L2 e o outro, por falantes de inglês como L2 e de alemão como L3. Todos os participantes desempenharam uma tarefa de nomeação de figuras em que estas eram precedidas por palavras prime em inglês (a língua alvo), português brasileiro (a língua nativa), ou alemão (a segunda língua). Os resultados indicam alguma interferência da segunda língua desses participantes na produção da terceira língua e favorecem a visão de que o acesso lexical de multilíngues é qualitativamente diferente daquele de bilíngues e monolíngues.---Artigo em inglês.

Download Full-text