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Volume 5, Issue 2
  • ISSN 2542-3835
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Abstract

Abstract

Recent models of third language acquisition (L3A) propose that previous linguistic knowledge largely has a facilitative effect. That is, either typological proximity or linguistic similarity will mostly lead to facilitation and the patterns of non-facilitation will be rather subtle. The present study investigates whether Danish-Russian bilingual children may overcome difficulties associated with knowing Russian, an article-less language, and benefit from knowing Danish when learning L3 English. To isolate the effects of each language we use a subtractive language groups design and compare article use in bilinguals and two control groups (L1 Russian-L2 English and L1 Danish-L2 English children). The results of a forced choice elicitation task show that the use of articles is near target-like in Danish-Russian and L1 Danish children and that bilinguals outperform L1 Russian children. A detailed investigation of article use, misuse and omission errors also suggests that non-facilitation from Russian is virtually non-existent. Thus, young bilinguals can successfully transfer article semantics from Danish at early stages of L3A.

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2022-07-04
2024-10-14

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/content/journals/10.1075/jsls.21025.rod
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Cross-linguistic influence in the acquisition of articles in L3 English by Danish-Russian bilingual children
Journal of Second Language Studies 5, 235 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1075/jsls.21025.rod
/content/journals/10.1075/jsls.21025.rod
/content/journals/10.1075/jsls.21025.rod
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): article semantics; child bilinguals; cross-linguistic influence; Danish; English; Russian; third language acquisition

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