scholarly journals On the status of transfer in adult third language acquisition of early bilinguals

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0247976
Author(s):  
Jorge González Alonso ◽  
Eloi Puig-Mayenco ◽  
Antonio Fábregas ◽  
Adel Chaouch-Orozco ◽  
Jason Rothman
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
English Grammar ◽  
Language Knowledge ◽  
Linguistic Representations ◽  
The Status ◽  
Linguistic Transfer ◽  
Natural Laboratory

The study of linguistic transfer—understood here in terms of the copying of previous linguistic representations—seeks to reveal how domain-relevant prior language knowledge impacts the acquisition and development of new mental representations more generally. Studying sequential multilingualism offers a natural laboratory to observe cognitive-economical mechanisms that avoid redundancy in language learning. One of the key dividing questions between theories of transfer in sequential multilingualism is the extent of transfer, that is, whether a whole previous grammar is transferred (full transfer) or a potentially different source language is selected for each linguistic property (property-by-property transfer). We adopted a novel methodological approach to this question, examining four different linguistic properties from unrelated domains of grammar across the three languages of a heterogeneous population of highly proficient, early Catalan/Spanish bilinguals with different degrees of language dominance and order of acquisition, at the very beginning of (adult) L3 English. Results are variably complex across the different properties, but compatible with a scenario where one of the previous languages, Catalan, was selected as the basis for the initial L3 English grammar of these speakers. We discuss the theoretical implications of these findings.

scholarly journals Acquisition of Adjective Placement by L3 Learners of English: Evidence for the L2 Status Factor

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Ghezlou ◽  
Mansour Koosha ◽  
Ahmad Reza Lotfi
Keyword(s):  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Linguistic Methodology ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
General English Proficiency Test ◽  
Language Knowledge ◽  
Syntactic Properties ◽  
Test Current ◽  
Determining Factor

This study attempts to tease apart the effect of first (L1) and second (L2) language knowledge on the acquisition of syntactic properties of L3 English in order to test current generative theories in the field of third language acquisition (L3A). The property under investigation is adjective placement. Participants are L1 Azeri / L2 Persian, and L1 Persian learners of English as a third and second language respectively. To fulfill so, 180 bilingual and monolingual university students from Arak and Miyandoab took a general English proficiency test, a background questionnaire, and a syntactic structure test. The L3 proficiency was also considered. The data, then, were analyzed through utilization of descriptive statistics and two-way ANOVA. In relation to the hypotheses, results indicated L2 status as the determining factor in the acquisition of English adjective properties by Azeri-Persian bilinguals. Proficiency level in the L3 also proved to have a significant role. The implications of the study can be utilized in developing an educational and linguistic methodology for bilingual learners of English as an L3 in Iran.

scholarly journals The role of typology and formal similarity in third language acquisition (German and Spanish)

Strani jezici ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-30
Author(s):  
Nikolina Božinović ◽  
Barbara Perić
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
First Language ◽  
Formal Similarity ◽  
Language Typology ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Initial Hypothesis ◽  
Transfer Error ◽  
Linguistic Transfer

The focus of this study is the role of previously acquired languages in the acquisition of a third language (L3). It is focused on cross-linguistic influences (CLI) in German/Spanish third lan- guage acquisition (TLA) by learners with Croatian first language (L1) and English second language (L2). Participants in this study were third-year undergraduate students at Roch- ester Institute of Technology’s subsidiary in Croatia (RIT Croatia). All the participants had exclusively Croatian as L1, English as L2, and were learning German and Spanish as L3 at the time of the study. The present study investigates the relationship between language typology and formal similarity and transfer/error production, since many studies have demonstrated that typology plays a determining role in cross-linguistic transfer (Cenoz, Hufeisen & Jess- ner 2001; Hammarberg 2001; Rothman 2010). There are various areas of similarity and dis- similarity between Croatian, English, German, and Spanish. A significant portion of English vocabulary comes from Romance and Latinate sources. Due to these facts, we argue that the strongest L2 (English) influence will be found in the area of lexicon. On the other hand, Cro- atian, German, and Spanish are more similar in the area of morphology, due to the fact that these languages have a higher degree of inflection than English. Accordingly, we argue that the strongest L1 (Croatian) influence will be found in the area of morphology. The results of this research confirmed our initial hypothesis that the type of transfer episodes observed may be related to language typology and formal similarity between specific features of languages. Similarities at the level of lexis and grammar between L2 English and L3 German and Spanish can influence the acquisition process of German and Spanish.

scholarly journals Relationships of language learning variables in the acquisition of third languages in a multilingual context

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 1117
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Dawala Wilang ◽  
Thanh Vo Duy
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Vocabulary Strategies ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Regulation Strategies

<p>This paper reinforces the importance of third language acquisition research in a multilingual context focusing on language experience, vocabulary learning strategies, emotional self-regulation strategies, and language anxiety. This study explored three languages: Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese, to know if there are significant relationships between the above variables in third language acquisition. Three specific sets of survey questionnaires were distributed to various students enrolled in foreign language courses offered in a language department in a university. To focus on the relationships of language learning variables of a foreign language, correlational design was used to analyze the survey questionnaires' responses for each language course. Among students who were enrolled in Chinese, significant relationships were established between language anxiety and language experience, language anxiety, and emotional self-regulation strategies. Significant associations were found between emotional self-regulation strategies and language experience, emotional self-regulation strategies, and vocabulary strategies, and language performance and language experience for those students enrolled in the Korean language. In learning Vietnamese, significant relationships were found between language anxiety and vocabulary strategies, language performance, and language anxiety. Teachers may need to re-evaluate prepared teaching and learning materials, for example, material difficulty, to help students alleviate anxiety in learning.</p>

PROCESSABILITY APPROACHES TO RECEPTIVE THIRD LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: IMPLICATIONS FOR MULTILINGUAL CLASSROOMS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Forsyth ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Qualitative Difference ◽  
Scaling Analysis ◽  
Syntactic Structures ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Developmental Readiness

Existing research indicates a qualitative difference between Second Language Learning and Third Language Acquisition, and certain psycholinguistic and developmental aspects to multilingual learners merit investigation. The present paper examines stages in receptive learner acquisition of English as a Third Language at Italian-medium primary schools in South Tyrol in Italy employing a picture selection task and implicational scaling analysis. It highlights the role that processing approaches to acquisition proposing constraints on developmental readiness and cross-linguistic influence may play for the emergence of receptive competence in morpho-syntactic structures.

scholarly journals Broad scope and narrow focus: On the contemporary linguistic and psycholinguistic study of third language acquisition

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 639-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge González Alonso ◽  
Jason Rothman ◽  
Denny Berndt ◽  
Tammer Castro ◽  
Marit Westergaard
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Narrow Focus ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
Linguistic Transfer ◽  
Broad Approach

Aims: in this introduction we situate the seven articles in this special issue in terms of the connections between their themes and their individual contributions to the field of third language acquisition (L3A): new theoretical models, innovative methodologies, an epistemological commentary and new perspectives related to multilingual processing and cognitive function. Approach: we discuss important and often overlooked differences between bi- and multilingualism in the context of second language versus third or further language acquisition. We also provide a brief historical overview of the relatively young field of L3A and outline the three current models of linguistic transfer in L3 morphosyntax. Finally, we approach the issues of methodology, psychological complexity and cognitive implications that are discussed in some of these papers. Conclusions: the diversity of topics in these articles endows the issue with a broad approach to the field of L3A, while individual articles offer a narrow focus on specific theoretical and methodological issues. Significance: this special issue provides an accurate portrayal of the current interest in, and rapid expansion of, multilingualism within linguistic and psycholinguistic approaches.

What can artificial languages reveal about morphosyntactic processing in bilinguals?

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Grey
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Artificial Language ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Second Languages ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Artificial Languages ◽  
Artificial Language Learning ◽  
Linguistic Transfer

AbstractThis article reviews work that has employed artificial languages to investigate the learning and processing of additional language grammar in bilinguals, with a focus on morphosyntactic processing in sentence contexts. The article first discusses research that has utilized artificial languages to elucidate two central issues in research on bilingual third language learning and processing: the role of prior language-learning experience and cross-linguistic transfer from the native and second languages to the third. Then, research that has compared bilingual third language to monolingual second language grammar processing is discussed, with specific consideration of hypothesized bilingual advantages at language learning. Finally, future directions in artificial language learning research on bilingual morphosyntactic processing are considered.

scholarly journals The scalpel model of third language acquisition

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 651-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roumyana Slabakova
Keyword(s):  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Initial State ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
New Model ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Linguistic Representations ◽  
Language Activation ◽  
Experimental Findings ◽  
Crosslinguistic Influence

Aims and Objectives: This article proposes the “scalpel model,” a new model of third and additional language (L3/Ln) acquisition. The model aims to identify and examine what happens beyond the initial state of acquisition and what factors may influence change from one state of knowledge to another. Methodology: The article briefly examines the currently proposed hypotheses and models and evaluates the existing evidence for their predictions. It highlights several cognitive and experiential factors affecting crosslinguistic influence that are not taken into account by the current models. These factors include: structural linguistic complexity; misleading input or lack of clear unambiguous evidence for some properties or constructions; construction frequency in the target L3; and prevalent language activation or use. Data and analysis: Findings of recently published research are discussed in support of the scalpel model. In particular, findings of differential learnability of properties within the same groups of learners suggest that L1 or L2 transfer happens property by property and is influenced by diverse factors. Findings: The scalpel model explicitly argues that wholesale transfer of one of the previously acquired languages does not happen at the initial stages of acquisition because it is not necessary. It also argues that transfer can be from the L1 or the L2 or both, but it is not only facilitative. Originality: The new model increases the explanatory coverage of the current experimental findings on how the L3/Ln linguistic representations develop. Implications: The model emphasizes the importance of the cognitive, experiential, and linguistic influences on the L3/Ln beyond transfer from the L1 or L2. Thus, it aligns L3/Ln acquisition with current debates within L2 acquisition theory.

Third Language Acquisition and Linguistic Transfer

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Rothman ◽  
Jorge González Alonso ◽  
Eloi Puig-Mayenco
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Linguistic Transfer

Integrating Duolingo for Schools in Third Language Acquisition

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-280
Author(s):  
Petar Todorov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Third Language ◽  
Third Language Acquisition ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Innovative Methodology ◽  
The World ◽  
Context Of Learning

The article presents the possibilities for integrating an innovative methodology in third language acquisition – Duolingo for schools. The Duolingo language learning platform is one of the leaders in the world with millions of registered users as the access to it is entirely free of charge. The article presents the leading research in the field by emphasizing the fact that none of it is yet to use Duolingo for schools. After dwelling upon Duolingo’s methodology, it is pointed out that Duolingo for schools can be integrated by teachers/lecturers in their syllabi to create a controlled environment. In the context of learning languages by Bulgarians, it is recommended using Duolingo for schools in third language acquisition, as Duolingo does not offer learning Bulgarian, neither can Bulgarian be used to learn another language.

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