Home Linguistics & Semiotics Chapter 1. Language control in the context of L3 acquisition
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 1. Language control in the context of L3 acquisition

The centrality of individual differences
  • David W. Green
View more publications by John Benjamins Publishing Company
L3 Syntactic Transfer
This chapter is in the book L3 Syntactic Transfer

Abstract

Current models of L3 syntactic transfer concern what is transferred during the initial stages. Each delineates a different, and singular, trajectory. From the outset though processes involved in co-opting available syntactic forms and pairing these with novel lexical items admit individual variability. Individual variability challenges the presumption of a single trajectory and so this chapter argues that understanding such variability is core to developing necessary and sufficient models of L3 acquisition. The chapter focuses on language control during L3 speech production as an important source of individual variability. Variability in language control affects speech production in L3 throughout the cycle from communicative intention to overt speech. What changes are needed to the processes of language control, and to the representations subject to their control, so that bilingual speakers may converse in an L3? Speakers must adapt their habits of language control so that they can construct and execute sentence plans in L3. Variability in the nature of such control will affect speech output. Current contexts of L3 use will also affect production in the two prior languages. Adaptive changes in language control induced via the acquisition and use of an L3 also impact on the production processes of the two prior languages. Models of L3 acquisition are ultimately models of multilingual processing.

Abstract

Current models of L3 syntactic transfer concern what is transferred during the initial stages. Each delineates a different, and singular, trajectory. From the outset though processes involved in co-opting available syntactic forms and pairing these with novel lexical items admit individual variability. Individual variability challenges the presumption of a single trajectory and so this chapter argues that understanding such variability is core to developing necessary and sufficient models of L3 acquisition. The chapter focuses on language control during L3 speech production as an important source of individual variability. Variability in language control affects speech production in L3 throughout the cycle from communicative intention to overt speech. What changes are needed to the processes of language control, and to the representations subject to their control, so that bilingual speakers may converse in an L3? Speakers must adapt their habits of language control so that they can construct and execute sentence plans in L3. Variability in the nature of such control will affect speech output. Current contexts of L3 use will also affect production in the two prior languages. Adaptive changes in language control induced via the acquisition and use of an L3 also impact on the production processes of the two prior languages. Models of L3 acquisition are ultimately models of multilingual processing.

Downloaded on 10.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/bpa.5.02gre/html
Scroll to top button