L2 Transfer In L3 Acquisition

This paper explores the role of second language transfer in third language acquisition. Third language acquisition is a relatively new area of study. It has both sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic foundation. The spread of English in the world and increasing mobility of the world population has resulted in educational situation in which learning more than two languages is necessary. Third language acquisition presents specific characteristics derived from the fact that third language learners are experienced learners and because bilinguals and multilinguals present a different type of linguistic competence as compared to that of monolinguals. Most studies on L2 transfer in L3 acquisition have been done on lexical levels. But L2 transfer in L3 acquisition manifests in many other aspects. This paper explores the role of cross-linguistic transfer in third language acquisition from both structural and nonstructural perspectives through example analysis, based on the data collected from the oral presentations, examination papers, compositions of a class of French L3 learners with L2 English and L1 Chinese in Jilin University and from personal communication and interviews with a Polish-English-German trilingual and a group of Germans with L2 English and another European language as L3. It explores the interaction between third language acquisition and the other foreign languages known by the learners and discusses the implications of these relationships. In light of this, the paper tries to answer such questions as: ⑴ what kinds of linguistic variables reflect transfer in different language modes, ⑵ what kind of role L2 plays in L3 acquisition in other structural aspects besides lexical aspect, and ⑶ what kinds of nonstructural factors influence L2 transfer in L3 acquisition. The paper first gives a review of the literature on the evolution of cross-linguistic transfer in general and a brief introduction of the study of transfer in L3 acquisition. Then it analyzes the interaction between L1, L2 and L3, the special features of third language production and factors affecting the language mode of bilinguals and trilinguals. It goes on discussing L2 transfer in L3 acquisition in structural aspects which include discourse, semantics, syntax and lexicons, phonology and writing systems and nonstructural factors that affect transfer which include individual variation, age of acquisition, linguistic awareness, social context and training. Finally a conclusion is reached that the process of L3 acquisition is characterized by the facilitative role of L2 transfer, which manifests in all other linguistic aspects besides lexical aspects. In the aspect of phonetics, more negative L2 transfer will occur in L3 acquisition, compared with positive transfer. Linguistic variables that reflect different language modes include mixed utterances, speech rates, hesitation phenomena, length of utterance, omission of ne and lexical inventions, etc. Transfer of L2 in L3 is mainly interrelated with factors such as linguistic typology, linguistic awareness, L2 status, L2 and L3 proficiency, and context. The effect of typology is confirmed in the present study. Chinese learners of L3 French tend to transfer vocabulary and structure from their L2 English into French. The main difference between L2 and L3 acquisition is that an L3 learner brings with him or her a wealth of knowledge and strategies that a learner of a first foreign language does not. L3 learners bring more to the learning table attributable to previous foreign language learning experience. The learners wish to suppress L1 and use L2 in the belief that using a foreign language would be a better strategy in acquiring another foreign language. The mechanism of L3 production is more complicated than that of L2 production. Trilinguals are assumed to have multi-linguistic competence. L3 learners are equipped with knowledge and strategies that learners of L2 have not. It is easier for a learner to acquire a second foreign language than the first foreign language. L3 le...