Thematic Section: Going beyond the initial stages in L3/Ln acquisition research 

L3 acquisition, transfer, L3 development, phonology, syntax, lexicon

Eloi Puig-Mayenco, King’s College London
Jennifer Cabrelli, University of Illinois at Chicago

To date, L3 acquisition research has mostly focused on examining the type (wholesale vs. property-by-property) and source of transfer (L1, L2, both, or neither) at the initial stages of acquisition (see Rothman et al. 2019, for a review). Based on a recent systematic review of L3 initial transfer studies (Puig-Mayenco, et al. 2020; Rothman, et al. 2020), we know that a good portion of research examining transfer selection in L3 acquisition use data from developmental stages (i.e., from post-beginner learners). Yet, only few of these studies explore (or even discuss) L3 developmental trajectories (e.g., Cabrelli et al., 2020; Cabrelli & Iverson, submitted, Puig-Mayenco et al., submitted).

The aims of this presentation are twofold. First, we will provide (a) a state-of-the-art overview of the field of L3 acquisition in general, (b) a comprehensive analysis of existing theories of L3 acquisition with special emphasis on how existing findings can inform L3 developmental theories and (c) a detailed review of the few studies that have attempted to explore L3 acquisition beyond the initial stages (i.e., L3 development and regressive transfer). In the second part of the presentation, we will discuss some methodological considerations that need to be adopted to successfully determine what cognitive mechanisms are involved in the modelling of L3 development. We will conclude by presenting some avenues and directions for future developmental research, as well as drawing attention to some important considerations for L3 acquisition research in general.