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Children's interpretation of negation and quantifier scope in L3 English

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2020

Kyuhee Jo ,
Kitaek Kim Open the ORCID record for Kitaek Kim [Opens in a new window]  and
Hyunwoo Kim Open the ORCID record for Hyunwoo Kim [Opens in a new window]
Kyuhee Jo
Affiliation:
Gyeongin National University of Education
Kitaek Kim*
Affiliation:
Seoul National University
Hyunwoo Kim
Affiliation:
Yonsei University
*
Address for correspondence: Kitaek Kim, Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Languages differ in the preferences for the interpretation of the scope relation between negation and a quantifier. This study investigates the understudied issue of how interpretive preferences associated with a quantifier scope in learners’ L1 and L2 affect their scope interpretations in L3 acquisition. Based on the current models of L3 acquisition, we tested which language, L1 or L2, exerts a stronger effect on the L3 acquisition of quantifier scope. To this end, the study involved two groups of multilingual children (11–13 years old) with different L1s (Chinese or Russian) but with the same L2 (Korean) and L3 (English). The participants completed truth-value judgment tasks designed to investigate their interpretation patterns for English sentences with negation and a quantifier (e.g., Tom did not cut all the trees). The results showed that both groups preferred the L3 interpretation similar to that preferred in their L2, but not in their L1, suggesting a potential L2 influence on L3 acquisition. The study evaluates L3 acquisition theories in light of these results.

Keywords

child L3 acquisitionnegation quantifier scopecrosslinguistic influencecommunity language proficiency
Type
Research Article
Information
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , May 2021 , pp. 427 - 438
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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