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Cross-linguistic transfer in third language acquisition: a comparative study of Mandarin L2 and Guangxi Cantonese L3 learners of English
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Date
2024
Authors
Mo, Na
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University College Cork
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Abstract
This thesis investigates the possible source of transfer in third language (L3) acquisition by comparing bilingual Guangxi Cantonese and Mandarin learners of English (L3 learners) and Mandarin learners of English (L2 learners) in two writing tasks: story retelling and Chinese-to-English translation. The data constituted a self-built corpus of the written production of 35 university students with Guangxi Cantonese as their first language (L1), Mandarin as their second language (L2), and English as their third language (L3), as well as a further 35 participants with Mandarin as L1 and English as L2. Participants in each group were divided into two subgroups based on their English proficiency. In addition, there are 10 English native speakers who act as control group.
The thesis explores the possible source of transfer on lexical and morphosyntactic aspects, based on error analysis and a comparative analysis among the two groups of L3 learners of English and L2 learners of English. In the error analysis, error category (omissions, additions, misformation, misordering), accuracy, and error rate are compared according to learners’ English proficiency level and linguistic background in the written retell and translation tasks. The results show that there is only a significant difference in the category of additions between the different proficiency levels in the L3 group in the written retell task and a significant difference in accuracy between the different proficiency learners regardless of their linguistic background. With regard to the translation task, significant differences were found in accuracy among the learners at different proficiency levels within the L3 group; and a significant difference was found in the error rate between the learners in that higher proficient participants produced more errors than lower counterparts did. The findings also illustrate that both L3 and L2 learners perform similarly in the productions of errors.
In addition, by comparing lexis and morphosyntax in the participants’ English writing production from different linguistic backgrounds, the results demonstrate that subordinating conjunction redundancy, the preferred use of the word ‘have’, misuse of ‘this’ or ‘that’ to replace articles, prepositional use of the dative clause, and frequent use of existential and possessive constructions may reflect of L1 Guangxi Cantonese. While noun redundancy, the preferred use of the word ‘make’, the misuse of prepositions, double-object use of dative clauses, relative clauses, run-on sentences, serial-verb constructions, and morphological changes may derive from either the L1 Guangxi Cantonese or the L2 Mandarin. The finding also suggests that a universal error that may not be regarded as a phenomenon of transfer: misuse of articles, because it has been found in other languages that lack article systems like Guangxi Cantonese and Mandarin.
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Keywords
Cross-linguistic influence , Third language acquisition , L3 transfer , Lexical transfer , Morphosyntactic transfer
Citation
Mo, N. 2024. Cross-linguistic transfer in third language acquisition: a comparative study of Mandarin L2 and Guangxi Cantonese L3 learners of English. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.