How previous languages shape initial stages of L3 acquisition: Insights from Korean learners of Spanish

This study investigates the influence of two previously acquired languages, Korean (L1) and English (L2), on the acquisition of Spanish as a third language (L3). Sixty beginner-level learners completed acceptability judgment tasks, which revealed that cross-linguistic influence occurs on a property-by-property basis instead of as wholesale transfer from a single-source language. The comprehensive analysis confirmed that L1 representations guided linguistic judgments of null and overt subjects in Overt Pronoun Constraint contexts, thus facilitating accurate interpretations in the target language. By contrast, L2 influence was identified in topic-continuity contexts, with non-facilitative transfer exhibited in Spanish. These findings align with the predictions of the Linguistic Proximity Model, in which both background languages can shape L3 acquisition depending on the linguistic properties. This study provides valuable insights by examining an underexplored learner group in the Third Language Acquisition literature. Additionally, via an analysis of two grammatical features, it demonstrates how influences from L1 and L2 emerge distinctly across properties, thus highlighting the nuanced nature of cross-linguistic influence.