关键词: 多语习得; 德语成绩; 英语成绩; 相关性

Abstract: The issue of cross-linguistic influence during second language acquisition has long been an important topic in second language acquisition research. During the last two decades, however, there has been increased interest in a relatively under-explored field: third language acquisition.From the point of view of cross-linguistic influence, the question arises as to how the languages interact with one another during the language learning process. The learning environment of foreign languages in China is changing alongside the pace of globalization. For foreign language learners in China, learning two or more foreign languages has gained more practical ground; yet, there is little research on the relationship between the processes of learning two foreign languages, and whether learning one foreign language would exert any influences on the other. This study adopts the lens of multilingualism to examine the relationship between college German and English test scores of college students who speak Chinese as their native language. Test scores of Prüfung für das Germanistik-Grundstudium (PGG) and College English Test-Level 4 (CET-4) of college sophomores majoring in German at a foreign language institute were analyzed. The results show a significant correlation between the English and German test scores. German learners’ CET-4 scores vary depending on their PGG scores. It is clear that English and German proficiency impacts each other. Moreover,prior learning experiences of foreign languages and the proficiency of such foreign language influences later learning processes and outcomes.

Keywords: multi-language acquisition; PGG; CET-4; correlation