Universal Grammar and the acquisition of English L3 syntax

Abstract

The relationship between linguistic theory and research on language acquisition has changed throughout the years. The main goal of this paper is to frame research on the acquisition of the syntax of a third language (L3) within the Universal Grammar (UG) approach. The paper provides an overview of the role of UG in language acquisition and highlights the findings of recently published research carried out with Basque-Spanish bilinguals who learn English as their third language. The suggestion is that the study of the acquisition of L3 syntax from a UG perspective will be of great interest for the development of a theory of the language faculty.