Research Article

The effect of multilingualism on learning an additional language

Number: Ö11 July 21, 2022
  • Didem Koban Koç *
TR EN

The effect of multilingualism on learning an additional language

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the effects of previous knowledge of multiple languages on learning a target language. In particular, it compared bilingual students with multilinguals with respect to the rate of progress in learning Turkish and analyzed whether or not knowing a language linguistically similar to Turkish would facilitate the learning of Turkish among multilinguals. Data were collected from 68 beginner level international students (20 females, 48 males) enrolled in the Turkish Teaching Application and Research Center of a government university in Turkey. The students took a pre-test in Turkish at the beginning of the Fall semester and a post-test at the end of the semester. The results of the quantitative analyses showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the bilinguals and the multilinguals, with multilinguals performing at a higher rate than the bilinguals in the post-test. In addition, multilinguals that had knowledge of a Turkic language achieved higher scores in the post-test than those that did not have any knowledge of a Turkic language. However, the results were not significant. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to the Dynamic Model of Multilingualism (Herdina & Jessner, 2002) which emhazised the importance of multilingual awareness and its positive effects on linguistic, cognitive, metacognitive and information processing abilities.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Linguistics

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Didem Koban Koç * This is me
0000-0002-0869-6749
Türkiye

Publication Date

July 21, 2022

Submission Date

June 16, 2022

Acceptance Date

July 20, 2022

Published in Issue

Year 2022 Number: Ö11

APA
Koban Koç, D. (2022). The effect of multilingualism on learning an additional language. RumeliDE Dil Ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi, Ö11, 492-500. https://doi.org/10.29000/rumelide.1146693