The Occurrence of Language Transfer in Third Language Acquisition: Evidence from Word Order Acquisition by Thai Learners of Chinese

Abstract: With the continuous development of global society, the acquisition of second and even multiple languages has become commonplace, leading to the rapid advancement of third language acquisition (TLA) research. This study investigates the acquisition process and phenomena of language transfer among learners whose L1 is Thai, L2 is English, and L3 is Chinese, using word order acquisition in Chinese as the focal point. Through qualitative research, it is revealed that learners compare linguistic features across the three languages to identify similarities and differences, forming an overall perception of linguistic distance, which informs their transfer choices. In acquiring Chinese word order, L1 transfer plays a dominant role, with learners demonstrating a general resistance to L2 (English) transfer. The influence of L2 is mainly observed in lexical transfer. These findings diverge from the dominant theoretical perspectives in current syntactic transfer models for TLA. Additionally, the foreign language learning experiences and strategies accumulated during L2 acquisition promote learners’ metalinguistic awareness, further facilitating their Chinese acquisition. Keywords: Third Language Acquisition, Transfer, Thai Learners, Word Order. Title: The Occurrence of Language Transfer in Third Language Acquisition: Evidence from Word Order Acquisition by Thai Learners of Chinese Author: Duan Ran International Journal of Novel Research in Education and Learning ISSN 2394-9686 Vol. 11, Issue 6, November 2024 - December 2024 Page No: 34-43 Novelty Journals Website: www.noveltyjournals.com Published Date: 04-December-2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14275922 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/The%20Occurrence%20of%20Language%20Transfer-04122024-8.pdf