Research Proposal

Research Proposal

Ⅰ Title of my thesis

On the Influence of Mother Tongue Transfer on Foreign Language Learning and

Strategies

母语迁移对外语学习的影响及策略

ⅡSignificance of Study

In China, most people study English as a second language and majority of them began to

learn English in the situation of mastering Chinese ,therefore, the original Chinese knowledge

is bound to have effect on some aspects of the new language system such as: phonetics, lexis,

pragmatics and culture, because there exist difference .This effect is what we call

transfer ,which ,to some extent, influent Second Language Acquisition . According to

Anderson’s

Acquisition of Cognitive skill Psychological Review

we know the impact of

mother tongue on second language study is also the important studied issue in

psycoliguastics and second language acquisition.

English learning is rather a difficult thing for most of the Chinese college students,

although they have learned English for about 6 years or more. Some still feel that they do not

know how to learn English well; some find it difficult to write down or better express their

ideas in English, and they tend to think it in Chinese and then put it in English. They often feel

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difficult to find the equivalence in English. Although they can write some sentences in English,

they are not the native English expressions. Consequently, many errors occur during their

unconscious translation from Chinese to English. It is a big burden to teachers in correcting

students' writings spoken and other aspects with so many Chinglish (Chinese English)

expressions. But it is unknown how students are influenced by Chinese in their English

learning. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a study in this aspect. The research of errors,

especially the errors which are caused by native language, is really worth doing.

This study focuses on the negative transfer of Chinese on college students' English

learning and analyzing the errors occurring in different areas of it. It is an attempt to identify;

categorize and analyze transfer errors. Practically, it is hoped to help learners know better in

what aspects they are weak and what they should pay more attention to in order to improve

their English learning. Also, it is hoped to make teachers understand一better the errors made

by Chinese students and also the influence of the Chinese on English learning. In this way,

they can be stimulated to treat errors properly and improve their English teaching.

Theoretically, the study may, to certain degree, enrich the study of language transfer despite

of its limitations and defects.

Realising the transference is important to Second Language Acquisition. Studying the

influence of mother tongue transfer on foreign language learning can make us learn foreign

language better, find the difficulties of learning foreign language, take steps to overcome

those difficulties and find the right method to acquire second language . Certainly, second

language acquisition is based on grasping mother language. Therefore, the transfer will

appear certainly. All we can do is to find it and then make full use of positive transfer and

reduce the negative influence of it and the purpose we analyze and study mother tongue

transfer is to improve our foreign language level. In short, to learn a language is not a final

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piece of cake , especially as a foreign language .On the factor of impact of foreign language

learn is still far to go.

Ⅲ Literature review

Language transfer has been a key issue in applied linguistics, second language

acquisition and language teaching for at least a century. Mother tongue transfer is an

inevitable phenomenon and plays a crucial role in the process of one's learning of a second

language due to the fact that the learner has had a rather developed prior L1 system in his

mind. Ellis(1986:39) says that it is a popular belief that second language acquisition is

strongly influenced by learner's first language. It is unimaginable that learners can learn a

second language without the influence of their mother tongue. Many scholars and

researchers at home and abroad have paid their attention to the study of how one's mother

tongue participates in his acquiring L2. Very often, when an L2 learner intends to express

himself in the target language, his L2 production may sound unnatural, with a flavor of L1

influence.

As a learner, has a deep feeling of the great influence of the mother tongue on foreign

language acquisition. Since Chinese students have already well mastered the systematic

knowledge of their mother tongue before they began learning English, they are inevitably

influenced in a negative way by their Chinese knowledge and commit many errors in learning

the second language. In view of this situation, this thesis is trying to have a tentative study in

this aspect to see how Chinese influences college English learning, the negative transfer in

particular.

Ⅳ Key points

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As we all know L1 transfer can be divided into two subtypes they are: the positive

transfer and negative transfer, is the common phenomenon in the second language

acquisition . This paper analyzes the L1 transfer based on middle school students who speak

Chinese as their mother tongue ,from the perspective of phonetic transfer, lexical transfer,

pragmatic transfer as well as cultural transfer either positive transfer or negative transfer. In

addition, this paper also researches the difficulties bring about by L1 transfer and the

corresponding strategies in the process of language acquisition.

Language transfer is a universal phenomenon in second language acquisition. Before

language learners learn a foreign language, they have been using their mother language to

communicate with each other for a long time, so that they have been very familiar with the

rules of mother language. In addition, there are similarities in language learning. Therefore,

when they learn a new language, they transfer those rules into the second language

unconsciously, and then transfers appear. However, there are similarities and differences

between two languages in their usages, rules and so on. For that reason, two kinds of

transfers form. One is the positive transfer which can promote the learning process and the

other is the negative transfer which can hinder it.

This essay firstly illustrates the definition of transfer, language transfer, and types of

transfer, in this part, illustrates the manifestation of transfer in negative transfer and positive

transfer separately in detail. In negative transfer, transfer will appear in phonetics, lexis,

pragmatics and culture. In positive transfer; One is that transfer can promote learners’

understanding of L2 .The other is that language learners can be enhanced interest in learning

English. Then, in the part two it discusses the three main factors which affecting transfer.

There are: learner’s psychology, cross-cultural awareness and learner’s actual English

proficiency level. Finally, this easy will give some practical suggestions of the right treatment

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to the mother language transfer in language teaching and gives some suggestions on

negative transfer. Through this essay we can learn how to get over the negative transfer

effectively and make the most use of positive transfer to improve our English level. And this

paper put more emphasis on the influence mother tongue negative transfer on foreign

language learning and teaching .we all know, it is difficult to avoid the transfer caused by

mother tongue, thus, through this article we will learn how to treat language transfer either

negative or positive.

Ⅴ Outline

Introduction

1 Language Transfer

1.1 Definition of Transfer

1.2 Types of Language

1.2.1 Negative Transfer

1.2.1.1 Phonetic Negative Transfer

1.2.1.2 Lexical Negative Transfer

1.2.1.3 Pragmatical Negative Transfer

1.2.1.4 Cultural Negative Transfer

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1.2.2 Positive Transfer

1.2.2.1 Promoting Learners’ Understanding of L2

1.2.2.2 Enhancing Learners’ Interest in English Learning

2 Factors Affecting Transfer

2.1 Learner’s Psychology

2.2 Learners’ Cross-cultural Awareness

2. 3. Learner’s Actual English Proficiency Level

3 Strategies

3.1 Enforcing Teachers' and Students' Awareness of Negative Transfer

3.2 Encouraging Students to Use Proper Dictionaries

3.3 Using Positive Transfer and Reducing Negative Transfer

3.4 Reducing Negative Transfer In culture

3.5 Providing More Chances to Make Students Practice More

3.6 Using Mother Language Properly

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Conclusion

Ⅵ Bibliography

[1]Anderson, J,R.1982 Acquisition of cognitive skill Psychological Review

[2] Diane Larsen-Freeman and Michael H. Long. “An Introduction to Second Language

Acquisition Research”. Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. 2000.8, P52-53

[3] Rod Ellis, “Second Language Acquisition”, Shanghai Foreign Language Teaching

Press, 2000.3, P51

[4] Language Acquisition And Pedagogy [M] AVON：Multilingua Matters，

1992.

[5]Ellis, R. The Second Language ai :Shanghai Foreign Languages

Education Press,1994

[6]Ellis, R. Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford university

press,1982

[7]Fries, C .The Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language ,Ann, Arbor:

University of Chicago Press,1945

[8] Freeman, D. and Long, M. An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition. London:

Longman Group Limited. 2000.A

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[9] 苗杰， 倪晓钢， “A Theoretical Study of Language Transfer”, Journal of Inner

Mongolia College of Education ( Philosophy and Social Science), 2000.12, Vol.13(No.4),

P12-17

[10] 郑超， “Nominal Constructions beyond IP and their Initial Restructuring in L2

Acquisition”, 科学出版社， 2004.9, P62-63

[11]寮菲：《第二语言习得中母语迁移现象分析》 [J] 《外语教学与研究》 1998（2）

[12]陆效用，试论母语对第二语言习得的正面影响。外语界2002，（4）：11

[13]潘华慧：《汉语对英语学习的干扰》 [J] ，《广西民族学院学报》 （哲学社会科学版）1994 （1）

[14] 苏留华：《母语迁移对第二语言学习的的影响》[J] 《北京第二外国语学院学报》 2004 （4）

[15]文秋芳，郭纯洁：《母语思维与外语写作能力的关系》 [J] 《现代外语》 1998

[16]新编实用英语综合教程(3)．高等教育出版社，2003．

(作者系四川大学文学与新闻学院硕士研究生)

[17]张耀成：《浅谈母语对英语学习产生的不良影响》 [J] 《黑龙江高教研究》 1994 （6）

Ⅵ Schedule of writing

Preparing period: December10th---February15th

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Writing period: February15

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----March7

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Revising period: March7

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------April28

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