Abstract

Third or Additional Language Acquisition examines research on the acquisition of languages beyond the L2 withing four main areas of inquiry: crosslinguistic influence, multilingual speech production models, the multilingual lexicon and the impact of bi/multilingualism on cognitive development. The book critically examines the evidence available keeping two main questions in mind. The first is whether multilinguals should be considered as learners and speakers in their own right and, consequently, whether the distinction between Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism, and Third or Additional Language Acquisition and Multilingualism is fully warranted. The second is how proficient in a non-native language learners are supposed to be before they can begin to be classified as multilingual learners in empirical research

Despite its title, this volume should be of particular interest not only to those researching multilingualism, but also to all those working on second language acquisition and bilingualism, as De Angelis provides abundant evidence illustrating the existing differences between L2 and multilingual acquisition. Her re-examination of previous research studies provides a great deal of food for thought and also shows that much road has yet to be paved. Thus, not only researchers but also students will find the author’s statements challenging and capable of stimulating debate, which makes its reading a must for all those interested in language acquisition.

Gessica De Angelis obtained her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics at Birkbeck College University of London under the supervision of Jean-Marc Dewaele. She published in the field of third or additional language acquisition, multilingualism and crosslinguistic influence. She has taught at the University of London and at the University of Toronto. She currently carries out research at the University of London.

Third language acquisition is a field of study which has attracted wide attention during the last decade or so. Gessica de Angelis is one of the foreground figures in this area. This book provides a comprehensive overview of additional language acquisition and argues convincingly for making a clear distinction between SLA and Third or Additional Language Acquisition. What even educated people in the US and Britain often neglect is that globally speaking multilingualism is the general norm, not monolingualism. SLA researchers everywhere also need to be reminded that there are essential differences between learning a second and learning a third (or additional) language. In this stimulating and well-argued book in a highly topical area of research, De Angelis has provided an excellent analysis of these differences. The book should be of interest to all researchers in the areas of SLA and bilingualism/multilingualism, as well as to non-specialist readers who want to know more about additional language acquisition.