Multilingualism and Non-native Lexical Transfer: An Identification Problem

Abstract

This paper proposes the existence of a cognitive process by which multilinguals who incorporate nontarget lexical items from one non-native language into another may (1) come to identify the lexical item transferred from a source to a guest system as belonging to the guest system and (2) fail to recognise the source of their knowledge in the original linguistic system. The result of this hypothesised cognitive process is referred to as a ‘system shift’, which is intended to refer to a shift in lexical knowledge from a source to a guest system. The proposal is supported by preliminary data derived from three different studies with speakers of Italian as a third or additional language. It is proposed that two factors may contribute to the realisation of a system shift and to blocking L1 transfer in favour of transfer from a non-native language: perception of correctness and association of foreignness. It is also argued that the existence of system shifts gives rise to potential methodological problems for research on multilinguals production. These are outlined and discussed.

Keywords:

• association of foreignness
• crosslinguistic influence
• Italian
• non-native lexical transfer
• perception of correctness
• system shift