As the field of language acquisition advances, and particularly as it advances ahead of the field of bilingualism study, questions remain as to how people successfully acquire a third or additional language (henceforth, L3A; additionally, the language being acquired is referred to as the target language) in adulthood.In the following chapter I describe the background which informs the current study, list the models of CLI in L3A, and discuss the relevant languages - Norwegian and English.These models typically fall into one of two categories: order of acquisition models, where order of acquisition is the key factor in determining a source of influence, and structural/typological models, which assert that the source of influence ultimately is derived from the typological or structural similarity between the third language and one of the two previously acquired languages.Page 1 of 86

In this thesis, a Miniature Artificial Language (MAL) called Englike is used to facilitate research on CLI in the earliest stages of L3A by Norwegian-English bilinguals in a

quantitative study of 77 individuals.The usage of an artificial or constructed language as the research medium allows for a

researcher to conduct studies while controlling for prior knowledge and exposure of the target language, as well as offering the unique ability to control the variables of the third language being learned.All participants speak Norwegian as their L1 and English as their L2, and by utilizing a MAL the current study is equipped to explore the absolute initial stage of L3A and how CLI interfaces with the acquisition of morphosyntax.How is it affected in the earliest stages of language learning?