Crosslinguistic influence in foreign and second language learners

Abstract

Increasingly around the world, children are required to learn foreign or second languages through primary school education. In this talk I begin by discussing some of the consequences of these policy decisions, and focus on the specific issue of crosslinguistic influence. Historically, researchers have examined the issue of crosslinguistic influence from the direction of the first language to the second (L1 –> L2). However, one of the consequences of lowering the age at which children are taught foreign/second languages is that it is likely their L1s are not fully developed at the time the L2 is introduced. This timing creates an opportunity for the L2 to influence aspects of the L1 (L2 –> L1). I discuss some of the research on crosslinguistic influence generally, and then present the findings of studies which show that L2 learning can influence key aspects of developing L1 skills, notably literacy. Learning a foreign/second language at primary school can, therefore, have much wider reaching consequences when introduced at younger ages in primary education contexts.

Speaker

About the Speaker

Professor Victoria Murphy is Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Education, University of Oxford. She is the Course Coordinator of the MSc in Applied Linguistics/Second Language Acquisition and the convenor of the Applied Linguistics Research Group as well as the ‘Research in English as an Additional Language (REAL)’ research group. She has degrees in Linguistics, Psychology and also in Education, hence her work typically straddles these areas, with a focus on child L2/FL development, EAL children’s language and literacy development and early years EAL and FL learning. She has been published in a wide range of applied linguistics journals and is the author of ‘Second Language Learning in the Early School Years: Trends and Contexts’ published by the Oxford University Press and is lead editor of ‘Early Childhood Education in English for Speakers of Other Languages’ published by The British Council.

Date

19 July 2016 (Tuesday), 12:45 – 02:00pm

Location

Room 205, 2nd Floor, Runme Shaw Building , HKU

Chair

Dr. Yuen Yi Lo