国外三语音系习得研究的分类与特征——兼及对我国少数民族学生三语音系习得研究的启示

作为三语习得的重要组成部分，三语音系习得曾一度是三语习得研究的薄弱环节，近年来逐渐受到学界的重视，成为一个颇具活力的重要研究领域。国外三语音系习得研究主要探讨:双语者/多语者相对于单语者是否具有音系习得优势；三语音系习得中的跨语言影响；三语音系习得的理论模型。本文总结和归纳国外三语音系习得研究的成绩与特征。跟踪少数民族学生大学四年的外语学习情况，开展纵向研究。采用神经语言学神经影像学技术与三语习得相结合的跨学科交叉研究方法，探讨少数民族学生三语音系习得。以彝族、藏族、维吾尔族学生为对象，考察其习得英语语调的情况。加强逆向迁移研究，探讨二语（汉语）、三语（外语）对少数民族学生母语的影响，检验音系渗透性假说，考察逆向迁移与语言磨蚀之间的关系。认为我们应该加强少数民族学生三语音乐习得中的超音段特征习得研究。

Third Language Phonological Acquisition Research Abroad and Its Implications for Research on the Third Language Phonological Acquisition of Ethnic Minorities in China

As an integral part of third language (L3) acquisition, L3 phonological acquisition was once an understudied area in L3 acquisition research. However, in recent years it has received increasing attention and has become a newly emerging research area. This paper starts with the origins and development of L3 phonological acquisition research, followed by an introduction to the major findings in this field abroad and a summary of the achievements of existing studies. Finally, it offers suggestions for future research on the L3 phonological acquisition of ethnic minorities in China by drawing on the L3 phonological acquisition research results abroad. It is found that L3 phonological acquisition research abroad is mainly focused on the following areas: first, researchers appear to be interested in whether bilinguals / multilinguals have phonological acquisition advantages over monolinguals. According to existing research, it is safe to say that bilingualism has no negative impact on L3 phonological acquisition, and usually has a positive effect. As for the advantages of bilinguals / multilinguals in L3 acquisition, scholars generally attribute them to a cognitive edge: bilingualism directly affects cognition, metalinguistic and communicative abilities, and then indirectly affects L3 acquisition.Second, up till now the majority of L3 phonological acquisition studies have been concerned with cross-linguistic influences in L3 phonological acquisition. Specifically, they examine different types of language transfer and their determining factors. Transfer in L3 phonological acquisition can be progressive or regressive. Progressive transfer refers to the cross-language influence of L1 and L2 on L3, including L1 transfer, L2 transfer, and combined L1 and L2 transfer, whereas regressive transfer refers to the influence of L3 on L1 and L2. It is found that the transfer types in L3 phonological acquisition are affected by about ten factors. Six of them-which have been much studied-are discussed in this paper: L1 status, L2 status (foreign language effect), language distance, language proficiency, psycho-affective factors, and levels of bilingual proficiency/effects of balanced vs. unbalanced bilingualism.Third, researchers also have been attempting to build theoretical models of phonological acquisition. The present paper introduces two typical L3 phonological acquisition models: the Perceptual Assimilation Model (PAM) and the Phonological Permeability Hypothesis (PPH). The core idea of the former is that the phonetic similarity between non-native sounds and related native sounds determines how listeners perceive and transform phonemes in a non-native language into phonemes in a native language. To explain regressive phonological transfer, Cabrelli, Amaro & Rothman proposed the well-known PPH. The core idea of the latter is that a language acquired in childhood (L1) is phonologically more stable than one acquired in adulthood (L2). In other words, L2 phonology seems to be more easily influenced by L3 than L1 phonology.Summarizing the achievements and shortcomings of L3 phonological acquisition research abroad, this paper puts forward the following suggestions for research on L3 phonological acquisition of ethnic minorities in China: 1) improving suprasegmental feature acquisition research; 2) making regressive transfer research better; 3) expanding the scope of research objects; 4) enhancing longitudinal research; and 5) innovating research methods.