Multilingual Assessment of Primary School Pupils in the HungarianContext

Abstract

Multilingual approaches to teaching and learning are linked to significant benefits at the linguistic and metalinguistic levels in the European context. The study is based on the Dynamic Model of Multilingualism. Multilingualism research is considered to be a neglected area in the Hungarian context, however a handful of studies have appeared on third language acquisition and multilingual awareness recently. 44 subjects took part in the investigation. This study aims to investigate certain factors influencing third language acquisition. The following research questions have been formulated. The first question seeks to answer whether L2 knowledge and age have an impact on L3 achievement. The second question examines whether L2 experience has an impact on L3 proficiency and on multilingual awareness. The third question seeks to determine whether the order of language acquisition influences L3 proficiency and multilingual awareness? Data were collected using self-constructed C-tests and a Multilingual Competence Test. Mann-Whitney tests showed that L2 knowledge supported a higher level of L3 proficiency but only in the GE groups. Age played an integrative role in L3 proficiency in EG and GE groups although there was one year difference amongst the groups. The results suggested that a higher level of L3 knowledge could contribute to a higher level of cross-linguistic awareness but not a higher level of metalinguistic awareness in each group. Learning German as an L2 can lead to a higher level of L3 proficiency and multilingual awareness. Keywords: multilingual awareness, L2 knowledge, L3 proficiency, English, German