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The effect of previously acquired languages on third language acquisition
Xiaoyu Luan1, Masakazu Kuno2, Ayaka Sugawara3
1Graduate School of Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama-ken, Japan.
Heliyon
|February 23, 2024
Summary
Previously learned languages significantly impact third language (L3) acquisition. Structural similarities between languages, rather than just proximity, are key triggers for non-facilitative transfer in L3 learning.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Psycholinguistics
- Second Language Acquisition
Background:
- Investigates the influence of prior linguistic knowledge on third language (L3) acquisition.
- Examines how native and second languages affect the learning of new grammatical structures in an L3.
- Challenges traditional L3 acquisition models by focusing on non-facilitative transfer.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the impact of previously acquired languages on third language acquisition.
- To determine the role of structural similarity versus typological proximity in L3 learning.
- To investigate the conditions leading to non-facilitative transfer in L3 acquisition.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of learning and control groups.
- Task-based assessment involving adpositional phrases and relative clauses in L3.
- Sentence judgment tasks evaluating strict/sloppy readings in L3.
Main Results:
- Native Japanese learners of Chinese showed greater L2 (English) influence than native Chinese learners of Japanese.
- Both groups exhibited more influence from their native language than their L2.
- Structural similarity was a stronger determinant of transfer than typological proximity.
Conclusions:
- Third language acquisition is influenced by all preceding languages.
- Interrelationships between subgrammars and structural similarity are crucial for transfer.
- Cognitive economy offers a framework for understanding L3 acquisition and non-facilitative transfer.
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