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In:Multidisciplinary Approaches to Bilingualism in the Hispanic and Lusophone World
Edited by Kate Bellamy, Michael W. Child, Paz González, Antje Muntendam and M. Carmen Parafita Couto
[Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 13] 2017
► pp. 41–65

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Chapter 3
The Typological Primacy Model and bilingual types

Transfer differences between Spanish/English bilinguals in L3 Portuguese acquisition

 | Leiden University | Brigham Young University
Published online: 31 May 2017
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ihll.13.03chi
Abstract
The Typological Primacy Model (TPM; Rothman, 2011, 2013, 2015) proposes that transfer in the initial stages of L3 acquisition will come from the most structurally similar background language, regardless of the order and context of previous language acquisition. However, research on L3 Brazilian Portuguese acquisition by Spanish speaking bilinguals has hinted at differences in transfer based on order and context of acquisition (Carvalho & da Silva, 2006; Johnson, 2004). Consequently, the present study measures three groups of Spanish/English bilinguals’ knowledge of mood in non-obligatory contexts in Spanish and subsequently in Portuguese. Results suggest that participants transfer from Spanish, although there are significant differences in their knowledge of mood distinctions and in the transfer of that knowledge to L3 Portuguese.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Mood in Spanish and Portuguese
    • 2.1The subjunctive mood
    • 2.2Acquisition of mood distinctions in Spanish
      • 2.2.1L1 acquisition of mood distinctions
      • 2.2.2L2S speakers’ knowledge of mood distinctions
      • 2.2.3HS bilinguals’ knowledge of mood distinctions
  • 3.The study
    • 3.1Research questions
    • 3.2Participants
    • 3.3Tasks
      • 3.3.1The Spanish proficiency pretest
      • 3.3.2Preference/Grammaticality Judgment (P/GJ) tasks
    • 3.4Procedure
    • 3.5Hypotheses
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1Spanish proficiency pretest
    • 4.2Preference/Grammaticality Judgment (P/GJ) Tasks
      • 4.2.1Category 1: Comment/emotion
      • 4.2.2Category 2: Doubt/uncertainty/denial
      • 4.2.3Category 3: Adjective/relative clauses
  • 5.Discussion, limitations and contributions
    • 5.1Discussion
    • 5.2Limitations
    • 5.3Contributions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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