Study on Third Language Acquisition under Second Language
Environment
Luo Xuejuan
Qinghai University for Nationalities, Xining, Qinghai, 810007, China
Keywords: Third Language Acquisition, Language Transfer, Bilingual Education.
Abstract: Nowadays, more and more people start to learn foreign languages globally. The issue of language transfer in
third language acquisition has been the social focus of concern and the emphasis of study by linguists.
Mother tongue has some influence on second language acquisition, which has more influence on third
language acquisition. With the economic globalization nowadays, the society puts more requirements on
language acquisition and the economic development needs mixed-type talents who can speak many
languages. This study elaborated the relation between second language acquisition and third language
acquisition to show the complexity of the latter. The influence brought by second languages acquisition on
third language acquisition and third language acquisition in the environment of second languages
acquisition were analyzed.
1 INTRODUCTION
China’s participation in WTO indicated that China
quickened its pace in reform and opening up,
representing the increasing exchanges with other
countries, regions and nations. This exchange needs
languages as support points, which raises higher
requirements for language learning. China is
composed of 56 nations. In minority nationality
regions of China, it is very common for people to
command different kinds of languages, especially
English, which is the most popular in the world.
Many universities in China set up English plus
second foreign language course. With the social
development, only commanding two languages can
not satisfy the requirements of social development.
In this case, more and more people start to learn a
third or more languages. However, third language
acquisition is not equal to second language
acquisition. The study of second language
acquisition in China has been gradually mature,
however third language acquisition is still lacking.
Therefore, it is important to strengthen third
language acquisition under second language
environment.
2 OUTLINE OF THREE
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
UNDER SECOND LANGUAGE
ENVIRONMENT
Third language acquisition is the acquisition of a
third language, which is a new study direction,
including factors of society, economy, and
mentality, on the basis of deeper development of
second language acquisition. Third language here
refers to a broad concept rather than the number of
commanded languages. The concept mainly refers to
one or several languages apart from mother tongue
of learners.
As the deep study of second language acquisition
provides premises for learning a third language.
They are inseparably interconnected and closely
related. However, second language acquisition is
totally different from third language acquisition. For
a long period, many linguists confounded second
language acquisition with third language acquisition
for the following reasons. First, in the broad sense,
second language acquisition means that learners can
not only command their mother tongue, but also
grasp a second or third or even more languages.
Second, the objects of study are same for two types
of acquisition, which is based on the learning
process, individual differences and teaching mode.
The study of second language acquisition just
343
Xuejuan L.
Study on Third Language Acquisition under Second Language Environment.
DOI: 10.5220/0006025803430346
In Proceedings of the Information Science and Management Engineering III (ISME 2015), pages 343-346
ISBN: 978-989-758-163-2
Copyright
c
2015 by SCITEPRESS Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
343
emphasizes the common characteristics of foreign
language learning while third language acquisition
focuses on individual characteristic. In study, first
language, second language and third language
should be treated as different study fields. The
differences between common characteristics and
individual characteristics can lead to a series of
problems in mentality, recognition and learning
process.
3 RELATION BETWEEN
SECOND LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION AND THIRD
LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
The study of language acquisition started in 1960s.
Studies show that some functional words in third
language acquisition are transformed from second
language acquisition, even though there is no
similarity on the pronunciation between second
language acquisition and third language acquisition.
The study of third language acquisition can not be
separated from second language acquisition because
it needs second language as a premise. Studies also
show that borrowings are frequent between second
language acquisition and third language acquisition.
Many scientists compared the learners of single
language acquisition with those of multiple language
acquisition, which showed that the learners of single
language acquisition had more disadvantages.
Learners of multiple language acquisition have
language awareness in their learning process and
that awareness is helpful in memorizing words.
Studies in recent years found that the functions of
mother tongue acquisition, second language
acquisition and third language acquisition in
learning process were different. The function of first
language is correction while the function of second
and third language serves as tools. With the elapse
of time, second language acquisition will be
replaced by third language acquisition. In third
language acquisition, learners will be influenced by
first language and second language acquisition,
which serves as intermediary function. With the
elapse of time, in third language acquisition or
multiple language acquisition, language talents will
be gradually changed. The advantages of language
learning can make learners become more confident
in learning a foreign language, which has
interreaction and is separated from first language.
The learners’ previous language knowledge can
influence the process of third language acquisition,
but it is not clear which language influences the
process. Learners of multiple languages have
potential language knowledge, helping them to
quickly grasp language knowledge. Multiple
language learning can improve language system in
learners’ brains and help them develop new
language skills, facilitating their multiple language
awareness. Many fields and functions can
demonstrate this kind of language advantage, such
as language-use awareness, pronunciation, phrase
and grammar. Therefore, single language learners
are inferior to multiple language learners in word-
use and pragmatic output.
The context of society, politics and culture gives
rise to languages. Different contexts reflect different
forms of cultures and languages, which influences
the patterns of manifestation in foreign language
learning. In third language acquisition, learners need
to overcome the obstacles of first language and
second language. In learning words, grammar and
pronunciation, learners will more or less be
influenced by their mother tongue or second
language. Mother tongue, second language
acquisition and third language acquisition are
interactional and interconversion, which is helpful in
learning process. Studies show that mother tongue
and second language acquisition disturb learners to
some extent. However, in the same time, this
disturbance has great positive effects. The methods
of learning languages are interlinked. Learners can
use the method of mother tongue acquisition and
second language acquisition to learn third language,
reducing learning difficulties. Learners of third
language acquisition are strong in communication
and their sensitive emotion is higher than ordinary
people, so they have great potential. The efficiency
of language learning depends on two aspects. First is
the learners’ attitude, teaching conditions of schools,
and information-collecting capabilities. Second is
the value of the language and the social demand of
talents, which is a key factor. Overall, in learning
language, learners should know the attitude of
society or schools to the language learning, what
learning conditions and learning goals they have as
well as their own attitude towards learning. These
factors are keys and premises to command language.
With the deeper learning of language, learners
will find that third languages acquisition is greatly
influenced by second language acquisition,
especially in vocabulary, grammar usage and
semanteme. Therefore, learners will find it easier to
learn. The proficiency of second language
acquisition play an important role in third language
acquisition. People who know second language
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acquisition have strong communication skills as well
as good language analysis and application
capabilities. Learners can skillfully use rich
experiences and knowledge got in second language
acquisition to dig out their proficiency and
appropriately tackle the relation among different
languages. They can even find the characteristics
and laws of each language and actively guide the
correct transfer among languages. Learners should
analyze various languages and find their differences
as well as the similarity between second language
acquisition and third language acquisition, helping
them to balance their level of different languages.
4 STUDY ON THIRD LANGUAGE
ACQUISITION UNDER
SECOND LANGUAGE
ENVIRONMENT
With the further study of second language
acquisition, the proposal of language transfer theory
entered a new language study field, which mainly
studies third language acquisition is created under
what social background. The third language
acquisition here does not refer to the number of
language learning, but one or several languages
apart from mother tongue or second language.
Compared with second acquisition, third language
acquisition is more complex because second
language acquisition is influenced only by first
language. Third language acquisition is influenced
by both first language and second language
acquisition. Studies about third language acquisition
started from 1950s and some studies show that
borrowing among different languages is frequent.
Further studies also show that the role of first
language and second language in third language
acquisition is different as the role of first language is
correction while the role of second language is
bridge. With further studies, mother tongue and
second language acquisition will gradually be
replaced by third language acquisition. If learners
can skillfully use two languages, they will help lay a
solid foundation for third language learning. The
previous knowledge in third language acquisition
can be transferred. It is not clear which language that
learners have already grasped influences third
language acquisition.
In third language acquisition, some notional
words can be borrowed from second language
acquisition. Second language acquisition plays an
important role in third language acquisition and the
language distance is shorter and shorter. The
language level, learning time and learning attitude in
second language acquisition will all influence third
language acquisition. Learners’ abilities of
knowledge absorption are different. Good learners
can borrow more notional words from second
language acquisition while poor learners can only
borrow notional words from their mother tongue.
Thus it can be seen that the process of third language
acquisition is very complex.
Second language acquisition has influences on
third language acquisition in vocabulary, writing,
pronunciation and grammar. First, in pronunciation,
most learners of third language remain their mother
tongue or second language pronunciation. The
pronunciation of third language acquisition is mainly
influenced by mother tongue and the role of second
language acquisition is comparatively weaker.
However, if learners recently have been learning the
second language, then the pronunciation of second
language will appear more frequently. Second, in
writing, third language acquisition often has the tone
characteristics of mother tongue. Third, in grammar,
time span and skill level should be considered when
third language acquisition transfers second language
acquisition. If second language acquisition has
longer time span and higher skill level, third
language acquisition will transfer the grammar of
second language acquisition. When third language
acquisition transfers second language acquisition,
types and inner relation between them should be
taken into consideration. In earlier stage of third
language acquisition, it often borrows words and
phrases of second language acquisition. Generally
speaking, second language acquisition has great
influences on third language acquisition. As long as
these influences exit, third language acquisition has
more or less transferred the knowledge of second
language acquisition. With the deeper study of third
language acquisition, only words transfer will be
fewer and fewer. Much attention should be paid on
the establishment of systematic network language.
Even if there is a close relation between first
language acquisition and third language acquisition,
procedural or substantial transfer is often based on
second language acquisition. However, if second
language acquisition and third language acquisition
do not belong to same language family, the
possibility of transfer will be lower.
Although the study of third language acquisition
develops fast, because of short study time and wide
study field, third language study is still in primary
stage and the methods and scope of study need to be
improved. When people are learning a third
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345
language, they often have already learned or grasped
another language. So they have already got their
mother tongue and second language acquisition as a
language basis. In third language acquisition, they
should weaken the influence of mother tongue and
second language acquisition. Learners need to
compare the differences between second language
acquisition and third language acquisition, which
can help deepen their memory and understand the
differences between two languages, reducing the
mistakes when using foreign languages and
quickening the learning process. However, in
learning process, learners should not overly pay
attention to the differences among different
languages, which can cause negative effects and
bring heavy burden, leading to weariness mentality.
Learners should emphasize the individual
characteristics and common characteristics of two
languages and compare the similarity and
differences among different languages. Then they
can gradually find laws to enhance their learning
passion and efficiency, strengthening their learning
confidence. Learners can have systematic analysis
on several foreign languages in order to avoid the
negative effects of second language acquisition.
However, comparison needs to be within certain
time and scope. If comparison is undertaken among
many languages, the effects can not be ideal, which
will confound learners’ thinking, memory and
understanding. The mutual transfer between second
language acquisition and third language acquisition
provides learners with better chances to learn several
foreign languages. In learning process, the
knowledge about foreign languages will influence
the effects of third language acquisition. The
differences between second language acquisition and
third language acquisition can not guarantee the
learning ways and learning effects of two foreign
languages are same.
5 CONCLUSIONS
Third language acquisition mirrors a lot from second
language acquisition, such as study methods and
academic theories. As third language acquisition
needs a lot of language knowledge, so the learning
span is large. In addition, third language acquisition
is constrained by social factors and own factors. The
constraints of own factors mainly reflect in learning
attitude, age, career and gender while social factors
include national language policies and language
plans. In order to appropriately tackle these factors,
some adjustments under the environment of second
language acquisition are needed. Only through these
adjustments can learners lay a solid foundation for
third language acquisition.
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Han Shuhua, Liu Yongbing. West Third Language
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Normal University (Social Science), 2012(6):23-26.
Zengli. Foreign ‘Third Language Acquisition’ Review.
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