An Investigation of the Influence of Irish as an L1 or L2 on Subsequent Instructed Language Acquisition in L3 or L4

Author

Corina Griffin, Institute of Technology, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland.

Date of Award

2003

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (Research)

Department

Institute of Technology Tralee

First Advisor

Dr. Muiris Ó Laoire

Abstract

Research in Ireland to date has paid little attention to the fact that all foreign language teaching occurs in the context where the FL (foreign language) is an L3. The present study examines the extent to which students transfer or modify strategies they had previously deployed in learning Irish to their L3/L4. It is proposed that students are deploying the same strategies in their learning of Irish as an L1/L2 and the foreign language (FL) as an L3/L4, thus indicating a similar approach to the learning process. Cognitive, metacognitive and socio-affective strategies are examined. The research also focuses on differences in strategy deployment between students learning a foreign language (FL) as an L3 and those who are learning a FL as an L4. Through the added variable of previous L3 acquisition an L4 learner's store of linguistic and metalinguistic knowledge will be greater, thus inferring that an L4 learner will have a broader range of strategies from which to choose than an L3 learner. This thesis posits that L4 learners will exploit this wider selection available to them. The research is based on 438 questionnaires completed by students of French and German as L3/L4 at secondary and tertiary level institutions in the Cork/Kerry region.

Comments

M.A. - Applied Linguistics

Recommended Citation

Griffin, Corina, "An Investigation of the Influence of Irish as an L1 or L2 on Subsequent Instructed Language Acquisition in L3 or L4" (2003). Theses [online].
Available at: https://sword.cit.ie/allthe/317

Access Level

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess