What transfers in L3 acquisition? An examination of relative clauses in L3 English

The present study investigates the acquisition of relative clauses by L1 Tuvan/L2 Russian learners of L3 English. We address the question of negative transfer in L3 acquisition and the issue of facilitative transfer from parametrically similar L2 Russian into L3 English. The comprehension tasks were designed to track down potential negative transfer from L1 into L2 and L3. The results showed that a typologically distinct L1 Tuvan is not transferred into L2 Russian and L3 English. Furthermore, the predictions on the facilitation effect due to the similarity between L2 and L3 were not fully confirmed. We argue that parametric similarity between L2 and L3 alone is not enough for learners to equally succeed in L3. Although L1 Tuvan speakers have reset the head-initial, right-branching CP parameter with the L2 Russian there are other parts of L2 grammar (morphology and word order variation) that complicate and interfere with L3 acquisition.