To be or not to be multilingual: What makes L3 phonological acquisition unique? - Magdalena Wrembel

Name: To be or not to be multilingual: What makes L3 phonological acquisition unique? - Magdalena Wrembel
Start: 2026-03-11T12:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-03-11T13:00:00+00:00
Location: Arngrímsgata 5, 107 Reykjavíkurborg, Ísland

Schedule

Wed Mar 11 2026 at 12:00 pm to 01:00 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

Arngrímsgata 5, 107 Reykjavíkurborg, Ísland | Reykjavík, RE

Íslenska málfræðifélagið býður félögum sínum og öllum áhugasömum á hádegisfyrirlestur í fyrirlestrarsal Eddu klukkan 12-13 miðvikudaginn 11. mars. Þá flytur Magdalena Wrembel, prófessor við Adam Mickiewicz University í Poznań, erindi um rannsóknir sínar á hljóðkerfisþróun í tileinkun þriðja máls. Erindið er öllum opið og skráning er óþörf. Erindið verður flutt á ensku.
Útdráttur
To be or not to be multilingual: What makes L3 phonological acquisition unique?
Magdalena Wrembel
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań
Multilingualism is the norm rather than the exception in the contemporary world and there is a growing recognition that it is the default state of human linguistic competence. Multilingual acquisition has been increasingly viewed as a dynamic and diversified process, offering new insights into language learning that go beyond those stemming from investigations into the first (L1) and second language (L2) alone (Flynn et al., 2004). Such an approach to multilingualism is in line with the newest research findings from neuroscience, sociolinguistics, and psychology (e.g., Kroll 2020). A growing body of research into third language acquisition (TLA) of phonology demonstrates an inherent complexity of the field reflected, for example, in a broadened phonetic repertoire, increased metalinguistic awareness, enhanced perceptual sensitivity, and multidirectional cross-linguistic influence (e.g., Cabrelli Amaro & Wrembel, 2016; Gut & Wrembel, 2024). To advance our understanding of the acquisition of speech from a multilingual perspective, I will offer a state-of-the-art overview of the findings from the recent CLIMAD and ADIM projects as well as some theoretical considerations and methodological challenges in L3 research. In this talk I will pose the question: What makes L3 phonological acquisition unique? and discuss how going beyond the L2 bias in research enriches or changes our perspective of the development of non-native language production, perception, and processing.
Projects:
ADIM - Across-domain investigations in multilingualism: Modeling L3 acquisition in diverse settings, Norway Grants GRIEG-1 project, AMU Poznań in collaboration with UiT Tromsø & NTNU Trondheim, 2021-2024.
CLIMAD - Cross-linguistic influence in multilingualism across domains: Phonology and syntax (PI), Polish National Science Centre grant OPUS-19-HS, 2021-2026.

References
Cabrelli Amaro J, Wrembel M. 2016. Investigating the acquisition of phonology in a third language – a state of the science and an outlook for the future. International Journal of Multilingualism 13(4): 395-409.
Flynn, S., C. Foley and I. Vinnitskaya. 2004. The Cumulative-Enhancement Model for Language Acquisition: Comparing Adults’ and Children’s patterns of Development in L1, L2 and L3 acquisition of Relative clauses. International Journal of Multilingualism 1(1): 3-16.
Gut, U. & Wrembel, M. 2024. Comparing bilingual and trilingual phonetics and phonology, In: Amenguel, M. (ed.). Handbook of Bilingual Phonetics and Phonology, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 631-652.
Kroll, J. F. 2020. Bilingualism as a lens to the mind, the brain, and society. A plenary ppt presentation at Bilingualism Matters Research Symposium, 22 September 2020.