A Study of Mother Tongue’s Negative Transfer in English Learning in Junior High School.doc

A Study of Mother Tongues Negative Transfer in English Learning in Junior High SchoolAbstract: In foreign language learning process, there has been a relatively complete native language system in the learners mind which influences the learners target language learning. This influence is called native language transfer. Native language transfer is an undeniable phenomenon. Native language transfer, especially negative transfer of native language is always concerned by language researchers and teachers. Native language transfer is often discussed in foreign language acquisition. It can be divided into two kinds: positive native language transfer and negative native language transfer. Positive transfer helps language acquisition. Contrarily, negative transfer hinders language acquisition. This study mainly focuses on the influences on junior high school students English learning caused by negative language transfer.Based on Junior High School English Curriculum Standards for students English learning and the theory of language transfer, this study investigates the status quo and trends of junior high school students mother tongues negative transfer in English learning and conducts a statistical analysis of errors. By referring to the numerous examples, the study finds that there are a large number of phenomena of mother tongue negative transfer in junior high school students English learning, mainly in terms of phonetics, grammar, vocabulary, lexis, syntax, chapter structure, culture and ways of thinking.This thesis introduces the essence, definition, types of transfer, the theoretical basis and then reviews the domestic and foreign research about the influence of native negative transfer in English learning. The research design which contains study questions, subjects, instruments and procedures. Then the result of the questionnaire is analyzed and the errors resulting from Chinese negative transfer according to the samples in the education practice are classified and analyzed in three aspects which are lexical errors, grammar errors, and culture errors. Hence, the paper is planned to investigate and analyze students mistakes which result from negative transfer of the native language to find out main problems in their English learning from the perspective of language transfer, in order to seek English teaching methods more favorable for students learning.Key words: negative transfer; positive transfer; second language acquisition初中生英语学习中母语的负迁移现象研究摘要:在外语学习过程中，学习者的脑海里已经存的比较完整的母语语言体系往往会对目标语言的习得造成一定的影响，这种影响即是母语迁移。母语迁移是一种不可否认的现象,也是二语习得研究中经常讨论的问题。母语迁移一般可分为母语正迁移和母语负迁移。正迁移促进语言学习，相反，负迁移妨碍语言学习。本文主要讨论母语负迁移对初中学生英语学习的影响。根据初中英语课程标准对中学生英语学习的要求，基于迁移理论,语言迁移理论，对比分析理论，错误分析理论等对初中生英语学习的负迁移现状及趋势进行调查，并结合教育实习中大量的例子，进行了统计分析，发现学生在英语学习中存在着大量的母语负迁移现象，主要表现在语音、语法、词汇、词法、句法、篇章结构、文化以及思维习惯等方面。本文首先介绍了迁移的本质、定义、种类以及研究的理论基础、对比分析理论和错误分析理论，并对国内外关于母语负迁移研究以及母语负迁移对初中生英语学习的影响进行了综述，在研究设计中对研究问题、研究对象、研究方法、研究工具、研究步骤和研究结果作了阐述。随后根据调查问卷及实习中搜集到的大量例子，对其中的母语负迁移错误进行分类，分别从语法、词汇和文化总共三个层面进行了具体错误分析。本文从语言迁移的角度来分析总结学生英语学习中的错误以找到学生英语学习中的主要问题，从而探索出更有利于学生学习外语的教学方法。关键词：负迁移；正迁移；二语习得1. IntroductionIn the process of foreign language learning, a relatively complete native language system in learners mind leads to a certain influence on learners target language acquisition, which is called language transfer. Language transfer is always the central topic in some fields, such as applied linguistics, second language acquisition and foreign language teaching. For Chinese students, Chinese have a great effect on their English learning, especially beginners, such as junior high school students and primary shool students. As a beginner, there are many limitations in their vocabulary, grammar and so on. Besides, since Chinese and English belong to different language families, they are different from each other. Therefore, the phenomenon of mother tongues negative transfer is inevitable. Chinese ways of thinking can be found everywhere. Their English are obviously influenced by their native languageChinese. With the development of the theory of language transfer, much more importance is being attached to the influence of Chinese on junior high school students. Many researchers and linguists are interested in language transfer. Language transfer, also called cross-linguistic influence, (Odlin, 1989) is one of the key features contributing to learners interlanguage. In foreign country, according to Odlin study, there can be two kinds of transfer: positive transfer and negative transfer. Positive transfer helps students to learn English better. Their previous knowledge plays a positive part in their English learning. Students can learn English quicker, easier and better. Yet, negative transfer affects students to learn English, contributing to breakdowns and misunderstandings. What they have learned may contrarily hinder students to use properly what they learn later. Terence Odlin gives a definition of transfer, “Transfer is the influence resulting from the similarities and differences between the target language and any other language that has been previously (and perhaps imperfectly) acquired. ” That is to say, transfer is a kind of influence, which is originated from the similarities and differences between the first language and the second language or the language which is not completely acquired. In China, Ding Jiren (2004) thought : mother tongue has a great effect on foreign language learning. On one hand, it can be negative. On the other hand, it can also be positive. People thought that the first language slows down and interferes with the process of the second language acquisition. The influence of Chinese syntax on the second language acquisition can also be found in the oral or written work of Chinese students of English. But it is should be realized that these students might have also tried their best and those who make these errors should be given credit for making an effort to express themselves. Gan Li (2004) thought Chinese has an important influence on the second language learning for Chinese students in terms of phonetics, semantics, especially syntax. The theory of language transfer helps explain why students make such mistakes in their English learning. They are influenced by negative transfer of their native language. This thesis needs to solve the problems: 1) What mistakes are students making and how can we explain in term of language transfer? 2) What can teachers do to help students correct these mistakes?In the process of foreign language acquisition, native language takes an important role. However, the beginners who know little of another language are often apt to rely on their mother tongue, which leads to mother tongues negative transfer. The phenomenon of language transfer which is also called cross-linguistic influences is very worldwide in foreign language learning. For many years, the significance of language transfer has long been a controversial topic. According to Terence Odlin Language TransferCross-linguistic influence in language transfer, the controversial has had a long life not only among second language teachers and researchers, but also among linguists interested in the questions of language contact and language change. It is crucial that teachers make full use of mother tongue positive transfer, realize the influences of mother tongues negative transfer on students English learning especially the beginners, such as the junior high school students and analyze the differences between the two languages, thus improving the efficiency of students English learning. There are many mother tongue negative transfer in terms of phonetics, grammar, lexis, semantics, pragmatics, text structure, culture background, modes of thinking, culture traditions, social history, etc. This thesis mainly make an analysis of mother tongues negative transfer from three aspects including lexis, grammar and culture. In order to help students recognise and overcome mother tongue negative transfer better, ensure teaching activities better and improve teaching efficiency and decrease misunderstandings with foreign friends, this thesis make a investigation of the phenomenon of mother tongues negative transfer in English learning in junior high school in terms of lexis, grammar and culture.The thesis consists of five parts. Part one introduces the background, purpose and significance of the study and then the organization of the thesis. Part two explains literature review of the study about mother tongues negative transfer abroad and at home, telling about the nature, kinds, definition of transfer, the theory of transfer, language transfer and its related study of language transfer including contrastive analysis and error analysis. Part three tells about methodology, mainly concerns the study questions, subjects, instruments and procedures. Part four concludes the results and analysis which classify and analyze students mistakes about mother tongues negative transfer in terms of lexis, grammar and culture according to lots of samples from the education practice and make a data analysis according to the investigation. Part five is about the conclusion of the thesis and some suggestions about teaching methods based on the study. 2. Literature review2.1. The theory of transfer“Transfer” is not a technical term of foreign language acquisition but a concept of cognitive psychology. Psychologists defined transfer as a type of learning activities by which knowledge about learning skills that learners acquired previously will influence the outcome of their later learning or training behavior. Transfer refers to the influence of knowledge, skills, learning methods and learning attitudes that have been obtained on the acquisition of new knowledge, new skills and solving the new problems. “Transfer” is also a process that learners learn to command new knowledge by means of what they have learned. In this process, besides knowledge transfer, the transfer also show in other aspects, such as attitudes, emotions, skills and so on. Therefore, transfer issues exist not only in the field of knowledge learning, but also in many areas(Zhang dajun, 1999).Ellis (1965) defines transfer as a hypothesis that learning task A will affect learning task B and claims it is the most important concept in theory and practice in the field of education. There are many psychologists have done a lot of research. According to Ausubels theory of cognitive structure, transfer is the integration process of old and new experience, the nature of which is a process that the original cognitive structure interact with the new learning and a new cognitive structure comes into being.Understanding transfer well can help understanding language transfer well and provide theory evidence for language learning. 2.2. The definition and kinds of language transferNo matter how language transfer is defined, language transfer phenomena is a controversial issue among many linguists and researchers for a long time. Sharwood and Kellerman (1986) have argued that a superordinate term that is theory-neutral is needed and suggest cross-linguistic influence. Taking “transfer”, “interference”, “avoidance”, “borrowing” and “L2-related aspects of language loss” into consideration, they think the term “cross-linguistic influence” is theory-neutral. Language transfer, also called cross-linguistic influence, (Odlin, 1989 ) is one of the key features contributing to learners interlanguage. With the development of the theory of language transfer, Ellis (1994) brought up the notion that nor is transfer simply a matter of interference or of falling back on the native language, nor is it just a question of the influence of the learners native language, as other previously acquired second languages can also have an effect. “The origins of the term go back to Behaviorism and its view that the first/ native language habits influence the acquisition of the second/ foreign language habits. Although it was later discredited, the notion of transfer has been revived again and remains one of the most fundamental in second language acquisition research” (Johnson, 2008). Among these researchers, most of them prefer cross-linguistic influence to language transfer in second language acquisition.According to Odlin (1989:27), transfer is the influence resulting from the similarities and the differences between the target language and any other language that has been previously (and perhaps imperfectly) acquired. As we know, the similarities can promote the learners learning. On the contrary, the differences will be the obstacles in the process of the learners learning. Therefore negative transfer in English learning is mainly discussed in this thesis. Negative transfer refers to the usage, patterns or rules of the first language is incorrectly or inappropriately used to the second language, leading to errors or misunderstandings. Negative transfer is a common phenomenon of language transfer that can be found everywhere. 2.3. Related study of language transfer (1) Contrastive analysis hypothesisSince the middle of 20th century, mother tongue influences on the second language acquisition is a heated topic in the field of linguistics. Linguists and researchers have done a lot of further researches and many related studies arise. Robert Lado proposed a potentially rigorous model, Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) (Lado, 1957), which was based on this assumption:1). The only obstacle to learning a new language is the interference of native language.2). Differences between native language and target language can be found by analyzing the structures of the native language and target language.3). The differences can help to predict the difficulties in Second Language Learning.The notion of Contrastive Analysis: the similarities between native language and target language result in positive transfer; the differences between native language and target language lead to negative language; the difficulties arise from some special usages of target languages that do not exist in native languages. Lado (1957) makes it clear that the teacher who has made a comparison of the foreign language with the nativelanguage of the students will know better what the real problems are and provide for teaching them. (2) Error analysis hypothesis With the development of the theory of foreign teaching study, the limitations of contrastive analysis became more obvious. Therefore, researchers began to study error analysis. 1) The definition of error analysisError Analysis is a type of linguistic analysis that focuses on the errors that the learners make. The comparison made is between the errors a learner makes in producing the Target Language and the transfer language from itself. Therefore, it differs from the contrastive analysis in either its weak or strong version. Corder(1 967)refers to all error as a breach of code. Errors deviate from what is regarded as the norm. But the problem is that there is still no unanimous agreement on what the norm is. Besides, the thesis The significance of Learners Error was published in 1967, telling readers teachers should learn how to make full use of learners error information. First of all, these errors can help teachers to know how much the learners are familiar with and master the target language. Secondly, the error can help teachers to understand the psychological process of the language learners and the use of language learning strategies in this process. Thirdly, error analysis also helps the learner himself, every foreign language learner make greater progress through making mistakes. James(1998)defined an error as an unsuccessful bit of language. There are some other definitions such as the use of a linguistic item in a way which, according to fluent users of the language, indicates faulty or incomplete learning (Chun , D et al, 1982: 538). A linguistic form or combination of forms which, in the same context and under similar conditions of production, would, in all likelihood, not be produced by the native language speakers counterpart(Lennon, 1991). It means the use is not in accord with the natives habits or customs. for learners themselves, these mistakes can not be obstacles. “The learners can take the process of making mistakes as a strategies to learn better or a way of test, in which the nature of the language that the learners are learning will be test.” Hu Zhuanglin (2002) declared. These views changed the traditional understandings of error. Since then many researchers and language teachers have spent a lot of energy in making full use of the error analysis theory for the error analysis, hoping to guide the foreign language classroom teaching, enrich and establish the theory of foreign language teaching.2) The types of error analysisThere are two main error types of error analysis: interlingual and Intralingual error. Interlingual errors are those which are due to first language interference. Intralingual errors, on the other hand, are those which reflect the operation of learning strategies that are universal (Ellis and Barkhuizen 2009). There are a number of these strategies such as incomplete application of the rules, overgeneralization and developmental errors.2.4. The research trends of language transferLately, no matter at home and abroad, researchers and linguistics have made a great progress in the aspects of the second language negative transfer. In foreign country, many researchers and linguistics, such as Ellis, Gass, Selinker and Odlin, have researched language negative transfer . Odlin (2001) made a specific analysis of language transfer in terms of discourse, semantics, syntax, phonetics, phonology, writing systems and nonstructural factors i