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Linguistic Approaches to Portuguese as an Additional Language
Edited by Karina Veronica Molsing, Cristina Becker Lopes Perna and Ana Maria Tramunt Ibaños
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 24] 2020
► pp. 191–230

Leveraging Spanish knowledge and cognitive aptitude in Portuguese learning

| George Mason University
| University of Maryland
| University of Maryland
| University of Maryland
| University of Maryland
| University of Maryland
| University of Maryland
| University of Maryland

This chapter describes a study investigating the question of whether and to what extent the presence of the donor language (L2; Spanish) and the first language (L1; English) in a reading comprehension task facilitates or impedes lexical learning in a related language (L3; Portuguese). The study also addresses the role of the learner’s cognitive aptitude (as measured by the High-level Language Aptitude Battery, Hi-LAB; Doughty et al., 2010; Linck et al., 2013). We discuss the results in light of the importance of perceived similarities and differences between related languages in multilingual learning, as well as the importance of understanding the ways in which learners with different levels of cognitive aptitude may be differentially able to leverage existing linguistic knowledge.

Keywords: cross-training, third language acquisition, multilingualism, bilingual glosses, inhibitory control, cognates, cross-linguistic influence, aptitude, reading comprehension, vocabulary learning
Article outline
  • Leveraging Spanish knowledge and cognitive aptitude in Portuguese learning
  • Background
    • Glosses as an instructional technique
    • Aptitude and multilingualism
  • Method
    • Participants
    • Design and procedures
    • Materials
      • Texts
      • Target words
    • Activities
    • Measures
      • Spanish cloze proficiency test
      • Reading comprehension
      • Vocabulary learning
      • Cognitive aptitude
      • Paired Associates (PA)
      • Letter Sets (LS)
      • Serial Reaction Time (SRT)
      • Running Memory Span (RMS)
      • Antisaccade (AS)
    • Questionnaires
      • Language History Questionnaire
      • End-of-Session questionnaire
  • Results
    • Reading comprehension
      • Rote Memory (PA)
      • Explicit Induction (LS)
      • Implicit Induction (SRT)
      • Processing Speed (SRT)
      • Updating (RMS)
      • Inhibitory Control (AS)
    • Vocabulary learning
      • Condition
      • Proficiency
      • Test Time
      • Cognate status
      • Rote Memory (PA)
      • Explicit Induction (LS)
      • Implicit Induction (SRT)
      • Processing Speed (SRT)
      • Updating (RMS)
      • Inhibitory Control (AS)
  • Discussion
    • Glosses vs. Control
    • L2 proficiency
    • Vocabulary retention
    • Cognate status
    • Aptitude
  • Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 26 March 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.24.08bon
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