Third Language Acquisition

Abstract

Is it the same to acquire a second language or a third language? Does the second language play a role in third language acquisition? Are we more expert learners if we have already learned a second language? These are fascinating questions taking into account that multilingualism is spread all over the world. This entry discusses the issues examined in third language acquisition research in order to answer these questions. The entry has three sections. In the first section the scope and focus of this research area are defined. The second section gives an idea of the different situations in which a third language or an additional language is learned. In the third section some of the main findings are discussed. Keywords: language acquisition; multilingualism; third language