Towards a description of trilingual competence
- 1 March 2001
- journal article
- other
- Published by SAGE Publications in International Journal of Bilingualism
- Vol. 5 (1), 1-17
- https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069010050010101
Abstract
Most studies involving trilingualism have been carried out within the theoretical framework of bilingualism research. No attempt has been made to delimit trilingualism as a concept in its own right, and often it has been assumed to be an extension of bilingualism. In young children, trilingual language acquisition largely follows the path of bilingual acquisition. With regard to language behavior there are again similarities, but certain differences can be observed. As an overview of studies of individual trilingualism, the present article aims to provide a framework for the discussion. Models of bilingual language competence serve as a starting point to an investigation of possible defining features of trilingual competence. Of particular interest are the pragmatic component of language competence; the trilingual's ability to make appropriate linguistic choices in monolingual/ bilingual/ trilingual communication modes; and observed codeswitching. The question of how and when a trilingual's languages become activated or deactivated leads to a consideration of language processing and metalinguistic awareness. In the absence of research involving trilinguals, bilingual models are examined with a view to pointing out possible similarities and differences. It is suggested that these are both of a quantitative and qualitative kind, and therefore trilingual competence is distinct from bilingual competence.Keywords
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- The role of bilingualism in foreign language acquisition: Learning English in the Basque countryJournal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1992
- Metalinguistic dimensions of bilingual language proficiencyPublished by Cambridge University Press (CUP) ,1991
- Language processing in the bilingual: evidence from language mixingPublished by Cambridge University Press (CUP) ,1989
- Minority language students in a French immersion programme: Their French proficiencyJournal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1989
- The role played by metalinguistic awareness in second and third language learningJournal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1988
- Bringing up children in English, French and Irish: Two case studiesLanguage, Culture and Curriculum, 1988
- On the representation of two languages in one brainLanguage Sciences, 1985
- Language acquisition in two trilingual childrenJournal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1985
- The bilingual as a competent but specific speaker‐hearerJournal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1985
- THEORETICAL BASES OF COMMUNICATIVE APPROACHES TO SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING AND TESTINGApplied Linguistics, 1980