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3L1 Acquisition : Three first languages during early childhood

Kupisch, Tanja LU (2023) p.271-294
Abstract
This chapter is concerned with 3L1 acquisition (early trilingualism; i.e., the development of three languages during early childhood). This is a methodologically challenging and understudied topic, most typically focussing on children with two home languages that are both different from the language of the wider community. The available research on lexicon, syntax, and phonology shows that trilinguals can develop three languages at once in essentially the same way as monolingual and bilingual children do, with language-specific patterns in each of them. However, the languages interact and the additional language (compared to bilingual acquisition) complicates this interaction. I discuss whether and how early trilingualism and early... (More)
This chapter is concerned with 3L1 acquisition (early trilingualism; i.e., the development of three languages during early childhood). This is a methodologically challenging and understudied topic, most typically focussing on children with two home languages that are both different from the language of the wider community. The available research on lexicon, syntax, and phonology shows that trilinguals can develop three languages at once in essentially the same way as monolingual and bilingual children do, with language-specific patterns in each of them. However, the languages interact and the additional language (compared to bilingual acquisition) complicates this interaction. I discuss whether and how early trilingualism and early bilingualism differ, and what the roles of language experience and typological distance are. More than any other setting, early trilingualism shows that children can acquire complex linguistic properties with substantially reduced exposure from a very young age. However, maintenance of all three languages is an issue, which mirrors findings on bilingual (heritage) speakers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
3L1 acquisition, trilingualism, phonology, code-switching, input
host publication
Cambridge Handbook of Third Language Acquisition and Processing
editor
Cabrelli, Jennifer ; Chaouch-Orozco, Adel ; González Alonso, Jorge ; Pereira Soares, Sergio Miguel ; Puig Mayenco, Eloi and Rothman, Jason
pages
24 pages
DOI
10.1017/9781108957823.012
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
0e6f114e-919b-4006-8a42-044063e9f2b2
date added to LUP
2024-12-07 16:54:02
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:37:42
@inbook{0e6f114e-919b-4006-8a42-044063e9f2b2,
  abstract     = {{This chapter is concerned with 3L1 acquisition (early trilingualism; i.e., the development of three languages during early childhood). This is a methodologically challenging and understudied topic, most typically focussing on children with two home languages that are both different from the language of the wider community. The available research on lexicon, syntax, and phonology shows that trilinguals can develop three languages at once in essentially the same way as monolingual and bilingual children do, with language-specific patterns in each of them. However, the languages interact and the additional language (compared to bilingual acquisition) complicates this interaction. I discuss whether and how early trilingualism and early bilingualism differ, and what the roles of language experience and typological distance are. More than any other setting, early trilingualism shows that children can acquire complex linguistic properties with substantially reduced exposure from a very young age. However, maintenance of all three languages is an issue, which mirrors findings on bilingual (heritage) speakers.}},
  author       = {{Kupisch, Tanja}},
  booktitle    = {{Cambridge Handbook of Third Language Acquisition and Processing}},
  editor       = {{Cabrelli, Jennifer and Chaouch-Orozco, Adel and González Alonso, Jorge and Pereira Soares, Sergio Miguel and Puig Mayenco, Eloi and Rothman, Jason}},
  keywords     = {{3L1 acquisition; trilingualism; phonology; code-switching; input}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{271--294}},
  title        = {{3L1 Acquisition : Three first languages during early childhood}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108957823.012}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/9781108957823.012}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}