Studying Crosslinguistic Interaction in Multilingual Production Through the Dominant Language Constellation

Abstract

One of the most prominent topics within the research in multilingualism is the interaction between language systems in a multilingual and its effects on language acquisition and use. However, existing insights into the issue are still only fragmental if one does not take into consideration, both from the methodology and design perspectives, the complexity inherent in multilingual behavior and influences from more than one language system at the time. In this chapter I examine the potential of the Dominant Language Constellation (DLC) approach (Aronin L, Dominant language constellations: an approach to multilingualism studies. In: Ó Laoire M (ed) Multilingualism in educational settings. Schneider Publications, Hohengehren, pp 140–159, 2006; Aronin L, Multicompetence and dominant language constellation. In: Cook V, Li Wei (eds) The Cambridge handbook of linguistic multicompetence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 142–163, 2016) for studying crosslinguistic influence (CLI) in multilinguals through quantitative research design. Arguments are based on previously collected data and outcomes of a study which looked into simultaneous interaction of languages of multilinguals during a production task in L3 English (Letica Krevelj S, Crosslinguistic interaction in acquiring English as L3: role of psychotypology and L2 status. Unpublished doctoral thesis. University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Zagreb, Croatia, 2014). I provide a detailed description of a common DLC of multilingual participants from the same community in Croatia involving Croatian and Italian as official languages of the community and English as a foreign language. The DLC described and analyzed in terms configurations of DLC offered some novel insights. The benefits of DLC, both as a conceptualization and research tool, as well as its complementarity with the view of language use as dynamic, embodied and embedded are discussed.