Processes in Third Language Acquisition

Hammarberg, Bjorn

ISBN 10: 0748635114 / ISBN 13: 9780748635115

Published by Edinburgh University Press, 2009

About this Item

The first comprehensive case study of how a multilingual learner approaches a new language. Editor(s): Hammarberg, Bjorn. Num Pages: 184 pages, black & white tables. BIC Classification: CFDC. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 223 x 144 x 16. Weight in Grams: 346. . 2009. Hardcover. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780748635115

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Processes in Third Language Acquisition
• Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
• Publication Date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0748635114
• ISBN 13: 9780748635115
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This volume brings together six case studies of an adult multilingual speaker who acquires a new language through social interaction. The book deals especially with the multilingual situation, the learner’s acquisitional activities, and the involvement of background languages in the process of speaking. It offers a coherent study of various linguistic phenomena in one individual, including patterns and functions of language switching, word search in interaction, hypothetical construction of words, and articulatory settings in speaking. The main languages involved are English (L1), German (L2) and Swedish (L3). The activation of these languages in the learner’s speech is examined in a cognitive perspective in relation to current models of the speaking process. A longitudinal corpus of NNS–NS conversations covering 21 months from the beginner stage provides the main data for these studies.Key Features:*Presents an example of an active and purposeful language acquirer*Explores cross-linguistic influence in a multilingual setting*Highlights the significance of prior L2 knowledge in L3 performance*Useful for students and researchers interested in second and third language acquisition, individual multilingualism and the human speaking process.

About the Author

Björn Hammarberg is Professor Emeritus in General Linguistics at Stockholm University, Sweden. He has published widely in the area of second language acquisition focusing particularly on acquisitional and developmental processes and on properties of the languages involved.