Abstract:
The present paper examines the acquisition of sociolinguistic
competence by proficiency-matched third language (L3) and second
language (L2) French speakers whose first language (L1) is either
English or Sinhala. The ability to change the register of the target
language appropriately according to different social contexts is the most
important aspect of sociolinguistic competence that L2/L3 learners need
to acquire. However, previous studies show that non-native speakers
often find it difficult to use sociolinguistically appropriate language even
after many years of learning an additional language in formal settings.
Further, previous L2 studies have focused on corpora derived mainly
from immersion students who speak European languages. Therefore,
there have been, to date, virtually no variationist studies on the use of
French sociolinguistic variables by L1-Sinhala-L2-English-L3-French
learners. The present study intends to fill the gap in research by
investigating knowledge of verbal negation in the French-Sinhala
interlanguage. The originality of the present study lies in the research
design. It compares data derived from proficiency-matched L2 and L3
French speakers. The results suggest that the L2 group can use socially
appropriate speech more effectively than the L3 group.
