1. Introduction

This chapter introduces the growth of French language teaching and learning in China, along with the increasing number of students studying French at different educational levels. It also highlights the expansion of English teaching to primary schools in China since 2001, which has resulted in most adult learners of French in China having almost ten years of English learning experience. The chapter emphasizes the importance of investigating the correlation between English and French proficiency for theoretical and pedagogical implications for French learning and teaching.

2. Literature Review

This chapter discusses the studies on multilingual acquisition and that third language acquisition should be considered as an independent discipline. It also focuses on the influence of L1 on L3 acquisition, the influence of L2 on L3 acquisition, and the influence of L2 proficiency on L3 acquisition. Various studies and analyses have shown that L1 plays a crucial role in L3 acquisition, and it was found that L2 plays a significant role in trilingual acquisition. Additionally, the influence of L2 proficiency in trilingual acquisition has also received much attention in recent studies, which adds complexity to the study.

4. Method

This chapter introduces the research questions, participants, and instruments used in the study. The research questions focus on the relationship between L2 proficiency and L3 learning effectiveness for Chinese learners. The participants were 112 adult learners of French in their second year of undergraduate studies. The instruments used were the National French Test (TFS-4) and the College English Test Band IV (CET-4) to assess English and French proficiency. The study also proposed three hypotheses for verification.

5. Results and Analysis

The chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the overall scores of the CET-4 and TFS-4 by grouping students into low, middle, and high English proficiency groups. The results showed significant differences in scores among the groups, thus verifying Hypothesis 1. Additionally, the correlation analysis demonstrated a significant and positive relationship between the English and French scores overall and within each proficiency group, approving Hypothesis 2. Regression analysis further indicated that English proficiency could predict French performance, with an explanatory power of 35.9% for the overall sample, thus supporting Hypothesis 3. The study concluded that there is a cross-linguistic influence of English in French learning for Chinese learners and the existence of a threshold level for this impact.

6. Discussion

The key content is: This chapter discusses the answers to the three research questions proposed at the beginning of the study. It explains the influence of L2 on L3 acquisition and provides implications for the teaching of French in China. It also points out the shortcomings of the study, particularly in relation to causality and the influence of reverse transfer or influence in L3 learning.

7. Conclusion

The key content is that the study found a positive relationship between English and French proficiency for Chinese trilingual learners. English plays a positive role in French learning overall, and regression analysis established an equation to predict French performance based on English scores. The threshold level of L2-English necessary to generate cross-linguistic influence on French acquisition is equivalent to IELTS 5.5. French teachers are encouraged to use analogical teaching methods in French classes to benefit from the similarities between English and French.