Cross-linguistic influence in a third language: The case of Hmong-English bilingual learners of French
Author(s):
Va, Maying Adeline
Format:
Thesis
Degree granted:
M.A.
Publisher:
Ann Arbor : University of California, Davis, 2010.
Pages:
53
Language:
English
Abstract:
Extending the notion of avoidance in non-native language production to the field of third language acquisition, this thesis questions whether certain morpho-syntactic features of French are more susceptible to avoidance than others as a function of cross-linguistic influence (CLI) from English, as a first or second language, and/or Hmong, as a first language. Two studies were carried out with four beginning learners of French—two Hmong-English bilinguals and two English monolinguals. A preliminary study was conducted, collecting spontaneous oral and written production, to determine which of the eight selected features were regularly produced by the participants. The second study involved structured production tasks targeting the four most under-used/avoided features. Semi-qualitative analysis of both sets of data provides results that were not expected solely in terms of CLI, leading to the tentative conclusion that CLI is not strongly predictive of non-native language production, at least at the novice level; proficiency level and language dominance in bilinguals plays as an important, if not more important, a role.