2026-06-05T22:04:08.798Z http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai

ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai:2:11960 2026-05-31T16:28:57Z 2

The Role of English as a Second Language in Learning French as a Third Language: Learners’ Perceptions 2026 http://ezaposleni.singidunum.ac.rs/rest/sciNaucniRezultati/oai/record/2/11960 https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/DIDA/article/view/101561/4564456576825 N. Maenza T. Gajić This study investigates learners’ perceptions of the influence of English as a first foreign language (L2) on the acquisition of French as a second foreign language (L3) among students in Serbia. Drawing on both cognitive and typological perspectives, the research examines how proficiency in English impacts French learning, identifying both facilitative and obstructive effects. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining theoretical analysis with a survey of 250 high school and university students. Results indicate that English proficiency aids comprehension of written and spoken French, particularly in vocabulary acquisition, due to lexical similarities between the two languages. However, significant negative interference was observed in students’ oral expression, where English hindered their ability to achieve fluency in French. The study found no statistically significant correlation between the duration of studying French and the degree of positive or negative transfer from English. These findings underscore the complexity of cross-linguistic influences in multilingual education, highlighting the need for tailored pedagogical strategies. Recommendations include enhancing oral communication skills, leveraging cross-linguistic similarities in vocabulary instruction, and fostering metalinguistic awareness to mitigate interference. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between L2 and L3 learning, providing practical implications for language educators. article https://doi.org/10.5209/dill.101561 38 129 141 1130-0531 Didáctica. Lengua y Literatura