When Germans begin to learn Swedish: Which is the transfer source for function words, content words and syntax?

This paper explores the role of the L1 and the L2 in L3 oral production, both as regards lexicon and syntax. Previous research has shown that both L1 and L2 are used in L3 oral production, and different explanatory factors have been put forward, e.g. (psycho)typology and L2 status. However, these factors do not explain why function words tend to come from L2 while content words seem to be transferred from both L1 and L2 to a larger extent. In order to explain transfer patterns in L3, we use the declarative/procedural model (Paradis 2009), and hypothesize that syntactic transfer will come from L2; transfer of function words from L2; and transfer of content words from both L1 and L2. We analyze lexical and syntactic transfer in eleven native German speakers’ retellings of an episode from a mute video film. The results largely seem to support Paradis’ model.