T for Third Language Acquisition

Is it the same to acquire a second language or a third language? Does the second language play a role in third language acquisition? Are we more expert learners if we have already learned a second language? These are fascinating questions taking into account that multilingualism is spread all over the world. This entry discusses the issues examined in third language acquisition in order to answer these questions.

What is third language acquisition?

The definition of TLA is a controversial one. TLA is the languages that were learnt after an L2, thus, it can define the acquisition of a third, fourth or fifth language as well (Safont Jorda, 2005). The acquisition of an L2 and that of an L3 share common characteristics, yet the latter is more complex due to the context of acquisition, variation in the order of learning the languages, the perceived distance between the languages involved, and the socio cultural status of the languages involved in the learning process (Cenoz, 2000).

How do we acquire the third language?

The cognitive and linguistic processes involved in TLA are similar to the ones used in SLA .Learning an L3 also differs from learning an L2 in the sense that L3 learners develop new skills, which are defined as language learning skills, language management skills and language maintenance skills (Herdina and Jessner, 2000). These skills contribute to more highly developed language awareness, or met linguistic awareness, which can be seen as the advantage that bilinguals develop due to contact with two language cultures. Met linguistic awareness refers to the awareness.

 

Prof. Salim Abu-Rabia and Ekaterina Sanitsky of the Department of Special Education, who conducted the study, set out to examine what benefits bilingualism might have in the process of learning a third language. They hypothesized that students who know two languages would have an easier time gaining command of a third language than would students who are fluent in only one language.

After comparing and merging the results of these tests, the researchers were able to conclude that those students whose mother tongue was Russian demonstrated higher proficiency not only in the new language, English, but also in Hebrew. They found that the total average between the tests of the two groups was above 13% in the Russian-speakers' favor. Some of the specific tests showed particularly wide gaps in command of English, the Russian speakers achieving the higher scores: in writing skills, there was a 20% gap between the scores; in orthographic ability, the gap reached up to 22%; and in morphology it soared as high as 35%. In the intelligence test, the gap was over 7% on the side of the Russian speakers. According to the researchers, these results show that the more languages a person learns, the higher his or her intelligence will be.

"Gaining command of a number of languages improves proficiency in native languages," Prof. Abu-Rabia explained. "This is because languages reinforce one another, and provide tools to strengthen phonologic, morphologic and syntactic skills. These skills provide the necessary basis for learning to read. Our study has also shown that applying language skills from one language to another is a critical cognitive function that makes it easier for an individual to go through the learning process successfully.

We can understand that there is a relationship between the previously learnt languages; the acquisition of an L3, based on the fact that positive transfer can happen from the L2 as well as from the L1. Every language that we learned is depended in the previous language except of the mother tongue. In addition it's easier to any person to acquire the third language than a person who wants to acquire the second language the because he has a lot of vocabulary that are similar to any language.

 

References

Cenoz, Jasone. 2000. Research on multilingual acquisition. In: Cenoz, Jasone and Ulrike Jessner, eds.

 English in Europe: The acquisition of a third language. Bilingual education and bilingualism. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters, 39–53.

Safont Jorda, Maria Pilar. 2005. Third language learners. Pragmatic Production and awareness. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.

Bilinguals find it easier to learn a third language, from universities, journals, and other organizations