Cross-linguistic influence in third language acquisition: An empirical study in lower secondary schools in Norway

Abstract

This study investigates cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in third language (L3) acquisition, focusing on Norwegian and English as previously acquired languages and French as the target L3. The research explores whether CLI occurs primarily from one or both previously acquired languages and how factors such as proficiency in English and the language of instruction at school influence the process. The study compares two groups of lower secondary school students in Norway: those from regular schools, where Norwegian is the language of instruction, and those from international schools, where English is the language of instruction. The study employs a gap-filling task to examine adverb placement in four different sentence structures that vary across Norwegian, English, and French. Additionally, a background questionnaire and vocabulary tasks were administered to gather linguistic and educational background information. The results reveal that both Norwegian and English influence L3 French acquisition. The second finding in this study is that (a) English proficiency and (b) language of instruction at school did not play a significant role in influencing CLI. These findings contribute to the ongoing debate regarding the factors that govern CLI in multilingual learners, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between previously learned languages and the L3. The study underscores the importance of understanding these influences for educational practices in multilingual settings, particularly for teaching foreign languages in Norway.