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L3 Development After the Initial State
Edited by Megan M. Brown-Bousfield, Suzanne Flynn and Éva Fernández-Berkes
[Studies in Bilingualism 65] 2023
► pp. 152–170

Lexical development in a third language

| University of Gothenburg,
In this chapter, I discuss lexical development in third language (L3) acquisition. One of the most researched aspects within this area is cross-linguistic influence (CLI), that is the role of previously acquired languages, the first and/or second language (L1 and L2), on the learning and use of the L3. While much research has been carried out on learners at beginner’s level, there are also many studies on learners at intermediate and advanced levels. Such studies allow for an examination of lexical development beyond the initial state. This chapter presents an overview of the main results and accounts for the ways in which previously acquired languages affect lexical development in the L3. The overview shows that overall, lexical CLI tends to diminish as proficiency in the L3 increases. However, when making a distinction between formal and meaning-based CLI, a more complex pattern emerges, with meaning-based CLI tending to occur more at later stages of acquisition. Finally, some L3 studies indicate that learners take advantage of both their L1 and their L2 when taking vocabulary tests; this lends support to the hypothesis of a cognate advantage found in L2 research.
Keywords: lexical CLI, formal CLI, meaning-based CLI, proficiency, lexical development, vocabulary acquisition, cognates, code-switch, lexical invention, semantic extension
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Vocabulary acquisition
  • 3.Lexical cross-linguistic influence in an L3
    • 3.1Formal CLI
    • 3.2Meaning-based CLI
    • 3.3Cognate effects
    • 3.4L1 vs. L2 influences
  • 4.Discussion and conclusions
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 9 October 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/sibil.65.07lin
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Desmarais, Martin
2023. Comparing two notions of transfer in third language phonological acquisition. In L3 Development After the Initial State [Studies in Bilingualism, 65], ► pp. 76 ff. DOI logo

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