Acquisition of L۳ English Past Perfect, Present Progressive, and Present Perfect Tenses by L۱ Kirundi-L۲ French Bilinguals

This study employed the Linguistic Proximity Model (LPM) to investigate the effect of cross-linguistic influence (CLI), target language proficiency as well as their interaction in the acquisition of L۳ English past perfect, present progressive, and present perfect tenses by L۱ Kirundi-L۲ French bilinguals. In that perspective, ۹۰ learners including ۳۰ L۱ Kirundi-L۲ English bilinguals, ۳۰ L۱ French-L۲ English bilinguals, and ۳۰ L۱ Kirundi-L۲ French-L۳ English trilinguals completed an Oxford Quick Placement Test, a Background Information Questionnaire, and a Grammaticality Judgment Task. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance, post hoc comparisons, and independent sample tests. Results revealed that neither Kirundi nor French exerted an exclusive influence in the L۳ past perfect and present progressive tenses. However, concerning the L۳ present perfect, the results indicated a significantly facilitative effect from L۲ French.  The results showed also a significant effect of target language proficiency: while lower-proficiency learners experienced a relatively negative influence from previous languages, higher-proficiency learners utilized their complex multicompetence to overcome difficulties linked to structural differences. Besides structural similarity reported in the already existing L۳A studies, the findings herein point to L۳ learners’ complex multicompetence as a new factor capable of driving CLI in the LPM framework.

Keywords:

Psychological Multilingualism , Third Language Acquisition , Linguistic Proximity Model , Temporal Category , EFL learners