Isabel Nadine Jensen

• Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2026). Input language and structural similarity: Competing factors in early third language acquisition. International Journal of Bilingualism. ISSN 1367-0069. doi: 10.1177/13670069261440351. Full text in Research Archive
• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia & Westergaard, Marit (2025). Investigating crosslinguistic influence (CLI) in L3 morphosyntax through artificial languages. Second Language Research. ISSN 0267-6583. doi: 10.1177/02676583251332128. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study investigates the role of structural similarity in third language acquisition by using two different semi-artificial languages (ALs, called Aliensk A and Aliensk N) as the targets and either Polish–Norwegian or Norwegian as the previously acquired languages (all speakers also know English). It is an extension of Mitrofanova et al., who did a similar study with one semi-artificial language with Norwegian, Russian–Norwegian, and Greek–Norwegian speakers. Mitrofanova et al. found that previous experience with a language (Russian) which is structurally similar to the target language is facilitative even in instances where the other previously acquired language (Norwegian) is lexically similar to the target language, but this was only the case when the property in question was both structurally and overtly similar (i.e. had similar overt morphological expression). The ALs in the current study are lexically based on Norwegian, a language which does not have morphological case marking. Aliensk A has case marking on articles (structurally but not overtly similar to Polish) and Aliensk N has case marking on nouns (structurally and overtly similar to Polish). Results provide support for the position that previous experience with a language with an overtly and structurally similar property (case) can be facilitative at early stages of acquisition. However, this process may be mediated by an SVO bias, the level of proficiency and activation of the lexically similar language. Overall, the findings support models of L3/Ln acquisition which consider crosslinguistic influence (CLI) to be the result of co-activation of all previously acquired languages and suggest that both lexical and structural similarity play a role at early stages of acquisition.

• Malarski, Kamil; Castle, Chloe Michelle; Awedyk, Witosław; Wrembel, Magdalena & Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2024). Orientation towards the vernacular and style-shifting as language behaviours in speech of first-generation Polish migrant communities speaking Norwegian in Norway. Frontiers in Psychology. 15. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1330494. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study describes the patterns of dialect use among L3 Norwegian speakers born in Poland who have migrated to Norway. We collected the data in the form of sociolinguistic interviews recorded in Tromsø and Oslo, two different dialect regions, in order to examine potential differences in acquisition of two dissimilar dialects in Norwegian by L3 speakers. The analyses focus on dialectal and accentual variation in their speech, and whether frequency of dialect use is dependent on selected sociocultural factors. We have found that some speakers, especially those scoring high for overall dialect use, also display style-shifting, i.e. they use dialect features from the region more frequently in unscripted speech as opposed to in more formal speech styles elicited through reading tasks or the wordlist reading tasks. This demonstrates that language learners are capable of developing sensitivity towards the vernacular form in an L3. Moreover, it shows that first-generation migrant communities in fact may be capable of developing their L2/L3/L4 language competencies in a similar way to L1 speakers, including at the level of sociolinguistic variation.

• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensberg, Helene Ruud; Velnić, Marta; Malarski, Kamil; Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Wrembel, Magdalena (2024). Can lexical and morphosyntactic dialect features be acquired by L3 speakers? The case of Poles in Tromsø. International Journal of Bilingualism. ISSN 1367-0069. p. 27–27. doi: 10.1177/13670069241303859. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: There is scant literature on second dialect acquisition for both L1 and L2 speakers (Drummond, 2013; Gnevsheva et al., 2022), with no literature on L3 speakers. In this article, we focus on dialect acquisition in multilinguals, in participants’ third or additional language acquired in adulthood. We explore this in the context of Norway, a country with significant dialectal variation and where dialects have relative prestige.<p> <p>Design/Methodology/Approach: A translation task and an acceptability judgement task (AJT) were used to assess Polish–English–Norwegian speakers’ production (in the lexicon) and perception (in morphosyntax) of the Tromsø dialect.<p> <p>Data and Analysis: We assessed use of dialect forms in the translation task between groups (L1 Norwegian-L2 English and L1 Polish-L2 English-L3 Norwegian) with a linear mixed effects model. We also used Random Forests and a linear mixed effects model to assess dialect use within the L1 Polish group against seventeen sociolinguistic and linguistic variables. Finally, we used a linear mixed effects model to examine AJT responses between groups.<p> <p>Findings/conclusions: We find that some participants use the Tromsø dialect in production (albeit variably), and key predictors of this are how much they like the Tromsø dialect and passive language use in Norwegian. Participants do not appear to be sensitive to dialectal differences in morphosyntax.<p> <p>Significance/Implications: L3 learners who immigrated as adults can and do use the local dialect, and this use is modulated by social factors. In addition, such learners seem more able to use and exploit their knowledge of dialectal differences at the lexical level.

• Kubota, Maki; Alonso, Jorge Gonzalez; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Luque, Alicia; Soares, Sergio Miguel Pereira & Prystauka, Yanina [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Bilectal Exposure Modulates Neural Signatures to Conflicting Grammatical Properties: Norway as a Natural Laboratory. Language Learning. ISSN 0023-8333. doi: 10.1111/lang.12608. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The current study investigated gender (control) and number (target) agreement processing in Northern and non-Northern Norwegians living in Northern Norway. Participants varied in exposure to Northern Norwegian (NN) dialect(s), where number marking differs from most other Norwegian dialects. In a comprehension task involving reading NN dialect writing, P600 effects for number agreement were significantly affected by NN exposure. The more exposure the NN nonnatives had, the larger the P600 was, driven by the presence of number agreement (ungrammatical in NN). In contrast, less exposure correlated to the inverse: P600 driven by the absence of number agreement (ungrammatical in most other dialects). The NN natives showed P600 driven by the presence of number agreement regardless of exposure. These findings suggests that bilectalism entails the representation of distinct mental grammars for each dialect. However, like all instances of bilingualism, bilectalism exists on a continuum whereby linguistic processing is modulated by linguistic experience.

• Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Westergaard, Marit (2022). Syntax Matters: Exploring the Effect of Linguistic Similarity in Third Language Acquisition. Language Learning. ISSN 0023-8333. p. 1–29. doi: 10.1111/lang.12525. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Over the last two decades, the question of to which linguistic cues learners pay attention when they decode a new language has been subject to controversy in the field of third language (L3) acquisition. In this article, we present an artificial language learning experiment that investigated how lexical and syntactic similarities between an artificial L3 and preexisting grammars impact crosslinguistic influence at the very beginning of the acquisition process. We exposed four groups of 30 Norwegian–English bilinguals each to one of four L3s and gave them training in that L3. The participants gave forced-choice acceptability judgments on pairs of nonsubject-initial declarative clauses that differed in word order, one grammatical in English, the other grammatical in Norwegian. The participants had not been exposed to nonsubject-initial declaratives during the exposure and training phases to avoid confounds with learning. The results showed that both lexical and syntactic similarities affect crosslinguistic influence. We discuss this result considering contemporary accounts of L3 acquisition.

• Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Anderssen, Merete; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana & Westergaard, Marit (2021). Crosslinguistic influence in L3 acquisition across linguistic modules. International Journal of Multilingualism. ISSN 1479-0718. p. 1–18. doi: 10.1080/14790718.2021.1985127. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this study, we investigated crosslinguistic influence (CLI) at developmental stages of third language (L3) acquisition of English by Russian–Norwegian children (N = 31). We tested seven linguistic properties within three linguistic modules (morphology, syntax and syntax-semantics). We compared the L3 learners to Norwegian (N = 90) and Russian (N = 74) second language (L2) learners of English. We predicted simultaneous facilitative and non-facilitative CLI in the L3 group within all modules, as the previously acquired languages offered conflicting options. Our predictions were partly supported. On one property, the L3 learners were different from both L2 groups, which is in line with cumulative CLI from both previously acquired languages. On four conditions, the L3 learners performed like the more accurate L2 group, indicating facilitative influence. On two conditions, all groups performed alike, showing high rates of accuracy. Taken together, the results indicate that CLI obtains on a property-by-property basis, with none of the L1s being the sole or primary source of CLI. Finally, we found CLI in all linguistic domains, but the developmental slopes for the properties were not equal, which suggests that factors such as complexity and saliency needs to be taken into account when we compare CLI.

• Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Westergaard, Marit (2021). Flaskehalshypotesen: Syntaks og morfologi blant norske andrespråksinnlærere av engelsk. NLT - Norsk lingvistisk tidsskrift. ISSN 0800-3076. 39(1), p. 97–121. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Flaskehalshypotesen (‘Bottleneck Hypothesis’, Slabakova 2008, 2013) beskriver og forklarer hva som er vanskelig og hva som er enkelt i andrespråkstilegnelse. Formålet med dette er å forstå prosessen knyttet til å lære seg et nytt språk etter førstespråket. Hypotesen argumenterer for at det er morfologiske konstruksjoner som er mest utfordrende å tilegne seg. Til sammenligning skal konstruksjoner som tilhører andre lingvistiske moduler, som syntaks og semantikk, være betraktelig enklere å tilegne seg. I denne artikkelen diskuterer vi resultater fra to ulike studier som direkte tester hypotesens prediksjoner for norske innlærere av engelsk som andrespråk. Resultatene viser delvis støtte for flaskehalshypotesen, men demonstrerer også at andre faktorer, som f.eks. påvirkning fra førstespråket og variasjon i innputtet må tas i betraktning dersom man ønsker å vurdere vanskelighetsgraden av å tilegne seg ulike deler av andrespråkets grammatikk.

• Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Slabakova, Roumyana; Westergaard, Marit & Lundquist, Bjørn (2019). The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: L1 Norwegian learners’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English. Second Language Research. ISSN 0267-6583. p. 1–27. doi: 10.1177/0267658318825067. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Bottleneck Hypothesis (Slabakova, 2008, 2013) proposes that acquiring properties of the functional morphology is the most challenging part of learning a second language. In the experiment presented here, the predictions of this hypothesis are tested in the second language (L2) English of Norwegian native speakers. Two constructions are investigated that do not match in English and Norwegian: One involving functional morphology, subject–verb (SV) agreement, which is obligatory in the L2 but non-existent in the first language (L1), and one involving syntax, verb-second (V2) word order, which is obligatory in the L1, but restricted to specific contexts in the L2. The results of an acceptability judgement task indicate that the participants struggled more with identifying ungrammatical SV agreement than ungrammatical word order. We conclude that the findings lend tentative support to the Bottleneck Hypothesis.

• Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Slabakova, Roumyana & Westergaard, Marit (2017). The Bottleneck Hypothesis in L2 acquisition: A study of L1 Norwegian speakers’ knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English. In LaMendola, Maria & Scott, Jennifer (Ed.), Proceedings of the 41st annual Boston University Conference on Language Development. Cascadilla Press. ISSN 9781574731767. p. 333–346. doi: 10.1177/0267658318825067. Full text in Research Archive

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• Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2025). Crosslinguistic influence in early third language acquisition: the role of linguistic similarity and input language. Full text in Research Archive
• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensberg, Helene; Velnić, Marta; Malarski, Kamil; Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Wrembel, Magdalena (2025). The sociolinguistics of dialect acquisition: Learning and using L3 Norwegian. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2025). Exploring Crosslinguistic Influence in Early Third Language Acquisition: The Role of Linguistic Similarity and Recency of Use. Full text in Research Archive
• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensberg, Helene Ruud; Velnić, Marta; Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Wrembel, Magdalena (2024). Can lexical and morphosyntactic dialect features be acquired by L3 speakers: The case of Poles in Tromsø. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2024). Factors affecting CLI in the syntactic domain by learners of L3 Norwegian. Full text in Research Archive
• Westergaard, Marit Kristine Richardsen; Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Mitrofanova, Natalia (2024). Investigating CLI in L3 morphosyntax through artificial languages. Full text in Research Archive
• Malarski, Kamil; Castle, Chloe Michelle & Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2023). Polish learners and the Norwegian Language: So many dialects! Full text in Research Archive
• Malarski, Kamil; Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensberg, Helene & Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2023). Orientation towards the vernacular and style-shifting as language behaviours in speech of first-generation Polish migrant communities speaking Norwegian in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia & Westergaard, Marit Kristine Richardsen (2023). Investigating CLI in multilingual acquisition through an artificial language. Full text in Research Archive
• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia & Westergaard, Marit Kristine Richardsen (2023). Investigating CLI in L3 morphosyntax through artificial languages: Aliensk. Full text in Research Archive
• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Malarski, Kamil; Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Jensberg, Helene Ruud (2023). Orientation towards the vernacular in the first-generation Polish migrant community speaking Norwegian in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Westergaard, Marit & Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2022). Comparing lexical and syntactic similarity in L3 acquisition: Norwegian-English bilinguals learning an artificial language. Full text in Research Archive
• Westergaard, Marit & Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2022). Exploring the effect of similarity in L3 acquisition of a miniature artificial language. Full text in Research Archive
• Vangsnes, Øystein Alexander; Andersen, Merete; Kubota, Maki; González, Jorge Ángel; Prystauka, Yanina & Jensen, Isabel Nadine [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2022). Bidialectal Exposure Modulates Neural Signatures to Conflicting Grammatical Properties: Norway as a Natural Laboratory. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Westergaard, Marit (2022). Exploring the effect of linguistic similarity in third language acquisition. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Westergaard, Marit Kristine Richardsen (2022). Exploring the effect of linguistic similarity in third language acquisition. Full text in Research Archive
• Kubota, Maki; Alonso, Jorge González; Andersen, Merete; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Luque, Alicia & Soares, Sergio Miguel Pereira [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Bidialectal exposure modulates neural signatures to conflicting grammatical properties: Norway as a natural laboratory. Full text in Research Archive
• Kubota, Maki; Alonso, Jorge González; Luque, Alicia; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Prystauka, Yanina & Soares, Sergio Miguel Pereira [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Bidialectal Exposure Modulates Neural Signatures to Conflicting Grammatical Properties: Norway as a Natural Laboratory. Full text in Research Archive
• Vangsnes, Øystein Alexander; Kubota, Maki; Alonso, Jorge González; Andersen, Merete; Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Luque, Alicia [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Nordnorske predikative adjektiv og bilektalitet: En ERP-studie av grammatisk følsomhet hos talere med ulik eksponering for nordnorsk dialekt. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Westergaard, Marit (2022). Exploring the effect of linguistic similarity in third language acquisition. Full text in Research Archive
• Castle, Chloe Michelle; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Velnic, Marta & Westergaard, Marit (2022). Studying crosslinguistic influence in L3 by means of artificial language learning experiments. Full text in Research Archive
• Alonso, Jorge González; Kubota, Maki; Andersen, Merete; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Luque, Alicia & Soares, Sergio Miguel Pereira [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Bidialectal Exposure Modulates Neural Signatures to Conflicting Grammatical Properties: Norway as a Natural Laboratory. Full text in Research Archive
• Alonso, Jorge González; Kubota, Maki; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Luque, Alicia; Soares, Sergio M. Pereira & Prystauka, Yanina [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Degree of Bidialectal Exposure Modulates Sensitivity to Conflicting Grammatical Properties across Closely Related Varieties: An ERP Study. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Anderssen, Merete; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana & Westergaard, Marit (2021). Bilingual transfer across linguistic modules. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Westergaard, Marit (2021). Exploring the effect of similarity in third language acquisition of a miniature artificial language. Full text in Research Archive
• Slabakova, Roumyana; Anderssen, Merete; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia & Westergaard, Marit (2019). L1 transfer in early L2 acquisition across linguistic modules. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine & Kolb, Nadine (2019). Flerspråklighet i skolen i et språkforskerperspektiv. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Anderssen, Merete; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia; Slabakova, Roumyana & Westergaard, Marit (2019). Does L1 Transfer Explain Everything in L2 Acquisition? Full text in Research Archive
• Slabakova, Roumyana; Anderssen, Merete; Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Mitrofanova, Natalia; Rodina, Yulia & Westergaard, Marit (2019). Crosslinguistic influence in L3 Acquisition across linguistic modules. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine (2018). Revisiting the Bottleneck Hypothesis: Knowledge of syntax and morphology in L2 English. Full text in Research Archive
• Jensen, Isabel Nadine; Westergaard, Marit & Slabakova, Roumyana (2022). Crosslinguistic influence in third language acquisition. UiT Norges arktiske universitet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  <p>In this dissertation, crosslinguistic influence in third language (L3) acquisition is investigated in three articles that explore how linguistic variables affect the influence of pre-existing grammars. The goal is to contribute to novel insights about the cognitive process of language acquisition. <p>We collected data in offline acceptability judgements tasks. In articles 1 and 2, we tested Norwegian–English bilinguals who were exposed to an artificial L3. In article 3, we tested Russian–Norwegian bilinguals who had been instructed in English for five–six years. We analysed the data by means of mixed-effects modelling. <p>The results show that L3ers are influenced by both pre-existing languages, at early and intermediate stages. At intermediate stages, we documented both facilitative and non-facilitative influence. We clearly see that the source of the influence is affected by similarities between the L3 and pre-existing grammars, but we find no indications of wholesale transfer. We argue that the results reflect a complex learning situation in which candidate structures from both pre-existing languages are co-activated and compete for the overall best fit to the L3 input. The goodness of fit of a given structure determines the level of activation and consequently, the influence on the target interlanguage.

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