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Abstract

This dissertation investigates multilingual transfer in the acquisition of German as a third language by Chinese learners whose second language is English. It focuses on selected German word order structures and examines how previously acquired knowledge of Chinese and English may influence learners’ developing knowledge of German. Drawing on research on language transfer and the declarative/procedural model, the study analyses the role of time pressure, self-reported English proficiency, and English use frequency. The empirical part includes a questionnaire and several experimental tasks on German and English. The findings indicate that both Chinese and English can be involved in transfer phenomena, whose visibility varies across experimental conditions.