This study analyzes the impact of first (L1) and second language (L2) on the acquisition of the syntax of English as a third language (L3) focusing on relative clauses and wh-questions among foreign-born youth living in Korea. While numerous models e...
This study analyzes the impact of first (L1) and second language (L2) on the acquisition of the syntax of English as a third language (L3) focusing on relative clauses and wh-questions among foreign-born youth living in Korea. While numerous models explore the influence of a first and second language on third language acquisition, this research implements the Cumulative Enhancement Model and the L2 Status Factor Model to determine their respective impacts on L3 acquisition (Flynn, Foley, & Vinitskaya, 2004; Bardel & Falk, 2007; Williams & Hammarberg, 1998; Rothman & Amaro, 2010). The Cumulative Enhancement Model hypothesizes that prior grammatical knowledge either neutrally or positively influences subsequent language acquisition as opposed to the L2 Status Factor Model which hypothesizes that it is specifically the L2 that has a positive or negative transfer effect on L3 acquisition. Participants were grouped based on the typological syntactic similarities and differences among their L1, Korean as L2, and English as L3. Each group was subjected to two tests: a test using relative clauses, and a test using wh-questions. Participants in the relative clauses tests were divided as follows: Group A was composed of individuals with L1 Russian ≠ L2 Korean ≠ L3 English = L1 Russian, and Group B consisted of L1 Chinese = L2 Korean ≠ L3 English ≠ L1 Chinese. For the relative clauses test, the methodology included 'Listen and Repeat' and ‘Look at the Picture and Place words’ tasks. In the 'Listen and Repeat' task, Group A outperformed Group B indicating support for the Cumulative Enhancement Model. Both groups showed similar proficiency in the 'Look at the Picture and Place words' task with a specific focus on head direction parameters. However, Group B, educated in both public and private institutions, committed more errors related to head direction which further supports the Cumulative Enhancement Model. For the wh-questions test, Group A consisted of L1 Russian and Ukrainian ≠ L2 Korean ≠ L3 English = L1 Russian and Ukrainian, and Group B consisted of L1 Chinese and Kyrgyz = L2 Korean ≠ L3 English ≠ L1 Chinese and Kyrgyz. An analysis of six wh-movement patterns revealed that Group B produced incomplete sentences more frequently than Group A. In constructing complete sentences following the Wh-Aux-S-V pattern, Group A, sharing L2 and L3 levels, outperformed Group B. These findings demonstrate that an L1 wh-parameter resembling L3 plays a facilitating role in acquiring wh-questions in English. In conclusion, the results of all tests are consistent with the proposed hypothesis of the Cumulative Enhancement Model. Key Words: Third language acquisition, foreign-born youth, Cumulative Enhancement Model, L2 Status Factor Model, relative clauses, wh-questions