Additive trilingualism: Evidence from the Basque Country

This research examines the influence of bilingualism on third language learning in a bilingual community, the Basque Country. The English-language achievement of students instructed through the majority (Spanish) and the minority (Basque) languages in the Basque Country was measured. In addition, ot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied psycholinguistics 1994-06, Vol.15 (2), p.195-207
Main Authors: Cenoz, Jasone, Valencia, Jose F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Basque
Bilingualism
English (Second Language)
Foreign Countries
Immersion Programs
Language Skills
Measures (Individuals)
Multilingualism
Predictor Variables
Psycholinguistics
Second Language Learning
Spain
Spanish
Uncommonly Taught Languages
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Summary:This research examines the influence of bilingualism on third language learning in a bilingual community, the Basque Country. The English-language achievement of students instructed through the majority (Spanish) and the minority (Basque) languages in the Basque Country was measured. In addition, other cognitive, sociostructural, social psychological, and educational variables were also included in the study. Several sets of regression analyses were carried out to analyze the role of bilingual education. The results indicated that bilingualism and several other variables (intelligence, motivation, age, and exposure) were good predictors of English-language achievement. This research suggests, then, that immersion in the minority language for Spanish-speaking students and school reinforcement of the native language for Basque-speaking students have positive linguistic outcomes.
ISSN:0142-7164
1469-1817
DOI:10.1017/S0142716400005324