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28 - Using Artificial Languages to Study Third Language Learning and Processing

from Part VI - Research Methods in L3/Ln

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2023

By
Sarah Grey
Edited by
Jennifer Cabrelli ,
Adel Chaouch-Orozco ,
Jorge González Alonso ,
Sergio Miguel Pereira Soares ,
Eloi Puig-Mayenco  and
Jason Rothman
Jennifer Cabrelli
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Chicago
Adel Chaouch-Orozco
Affiliation:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Jorge González Alonso
Affiliation:
Universidad Nebrija, Spain and UiT, Arctic University of Norway
Sergio Miguel Pereira Soares
Affiliation:
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
Eloi Puig-Mayenco
Affiliation:
King's College London
Jason Rothman
Affiliation:
UiT, Arctic University of Norway and Universidad Nebrija, Spain
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Summary

Artificial linguistic systems are useful for investigating aspects of adult language learning. These systems are typically composed of a lexicon and a set of grammatical rules. Such systems provide advantages for the study of third language acquisition. For example, they enable researchers to control the amount and type of language exposure as well as crosslinguistic similarity to learners’ known languages. This chapter discusses the use of artificial linguistic systems as a methodological tool for investigating topics in adult third language learning, including the effects of first- and second-language transfer on third language learning and potential bilingual advantages in grammar learning. The chapter considers three subtypes of artificial linguistic systems: artificial languages, semi-artificial languages, and mini-languages. In the chapter, I discuss research that has used these artificial systems to examine third language learning/processing, advantages of the systems, and their validity in adult language learning research.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Third Language Acquisition , pp. 724 - 743
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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