What variables condition syntactic transfer? A look at the L3 initial state

• Published in: Second language research Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 189 - 218
• Main Authors: Rothman, Jason, Amaro, Jennifer Cabrelli
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.04.2010; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adult Basic Education; Adult Students; Adults; Comparative Analysis; English; English as a second language learning; English language learners; Expletives; French; French as a second language learning; Grammar; Italian; Italian as a second language; Language; Language Acquisition; Language Research; Language typology; Learning Processes; Learning transfer; Linguistic Interference; Linguistic Theory; Linguistics; Loanwords; Multilingualism; Native language; Native Speakers; Nonnative languages; Prior Learning; Research Methodology; Rothman, J; Second language acquisition; Second Language Learning; Sentences; Spanish; Spanish as a second language learning; Studies; Syntactics; Syntax; Third Language Learning; Transfer; Transfer of Training; United States > US; Iowa; L3 Italian; crosslinguistic influence; psychotypology; L2 Spanish; null-subject parameter; L3 French
• ISSN: 0267-6583; 1477-0326
• DOI: 10.1177/0267658309349410

This study investigates transfer at the third-language (L3) initial state, testing between the following possibilities: (1) the first language (L1) transfer hypothesis (an L1 effect for all adult acquisition), (2) the second language (L2) transfer hypothesis, where the L2 blocks L1 transfer (often referred to in the recent literature as the 'L2 status factor'; Williams and Hammarberg, 1998), and (3) the Cumulative Enhancement Model (Flynn et al., 2004), which proposes selective transfer from all previous linguistic knowledge. We provide data from successful English-speaking learners of L2 Spanish at the initial state of acquiring L3 French and L3 Italian relating to properties of the Null-Subject Parameter (e. g. Chomsky, 1981; Rizzi, 1982). We compare these groups to each other, as well as to groups of English learners of L2 French and L2 Italian at the initial state, and conclude that the data are consistent with the predictions of the 'L2 status factor'. However, we discuss an alternative possible interpretation based on (psycho) typologically-motivated transfer (borrowing from Kellerman, 1983), providing a methodology for future research in this domain to meaningfully tease apart the 'L2 status factor' from this alternative account.