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L3 Syntactic Transfer: Models, new developments and implications
Edited by Tanja Angelovska and Angela Hahn
[Bilingual Processing and Acquisition 5] 2017
► pp. 223–250

Chapter 10
Transfer from an L2 in third language learning

A study on L2 proficiency

This chapter addresses the role of proficiency in a prior non-native language (L2 proficiency) on transfer in third language learning. It discusses some methodological considerations and gaps in previous research, while also bringing up conceptual difficulties in defining, operationalizing and measuring L2 proficiency. An empirical study is presented on the role played by overall proficiency in L2 German on the occurrence of transfer in L3 English written production in Spanish/ Catalan bilingual learners (n = 73). The statistical treatment of the data relied on an ANCOVA with number of transferred items as the dependent variable and L2 proficiency as the independent variable. Biological age and proficiency in the target language (L3 proficiency) were used as covariates in this analysis.
Keywords: transfer, crosslinguistic influence, L2 proficiency, L3 proficiency, third language acquisition
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Background of the study
    • Defining and operationalizing proficiency in TLL
    • Transfer and proficiency in TLL
  • The present study: Research question
  • Study design
    • Participants
    • Instruments
    • Procedure
  • Data analysis
  • Results
  • Discussion and conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 15 August 2017
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.5.11san
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