Acquisition of L۳ French Object Clitics by L۱-Sinhala-L۲-English Speakers

This study has two goals: first, to investigate prior language influence in the acquisition of object pronominalisation in the third language (L۳) French by speakers whose first language (L۱) grammar allows null objects; and, second, to find out whether non-native behaviour in relation to object pronominalisation is modulated by task type. I compare L۳ speakers of French whose L۱ is Sinhala and L۲ English with L۲ speakers of French whose L۱ is English. Sinhala allows null objects, whereas null subjects are not allowed in French and English. Using data from a speaking task and acceptability judgement tasks, I found that the L۳ speakers omit objects in production while demonstrating knowledge of the obligatory nature of French clitic pronouns in comprehension. The proficiency-matched L۲ speakers, by contrast, do not omit objects. Drawing on Amaral and Roeper’s (۲۰۱۴) Multiple Grammars account of multilingual knowledge, I argue that the increased processing load of the production task compared with the comprehension task leads to the L۳ speakers resorting to structures available in their L۱. While the L۲ speakers may also resort to L۱ structures under increased cognitive load, their L۱ does not include null objects, hence null objects do not arise in the L۲ group.  

Keywords:

L۳ French , L۱ Sinhala , object clitics , processing load , null objects , L۳ French , L۱ Sinhala , object clitics , processing load , null objects