On the Negative Transfer of L1 in Chinese Students′ English Learning.doc

On the Negative Transfer of L1 in Chinese Students' English LearningAbstract: The influence of L1 to the acquisition of Second Language may be positive and negative, but it is believed that the main influence will be negative, by examining and analyzing the language data from pronunciation, vocabulary, syntax and the culture aspects of Chinese English learners, we try to investigate the negative transfer of L1 in Chinese students' English learning. To do such study, we aim at giving more concrete examples in SLA research and help the L2 learners to avoid the negative transfer or shift the negative transfer to positive transfer and finally achieve a high proficiency in L2. The language data included in this study are taken from some journals and books on the library, as well as some data from students homework. The methodologies used are Contrastive Analysis and Error Analysis. I hope the researching results can help the Chinese students using idiomatic English rather than Chinglish.Key words: negative transfer, English learning, second language, SLA中国学生英语学习中的母语负迁移摘要：母语在二语习得中可分为正迁移和负迁移，但是多数人认为负迁移是主要的影响，通过从语音，词汇，句法和文化方面检查和分析中国英语学习者的语料，我们试图调查中国学生英语学习中的母语负迁移。通过这项研究，旨在给出更多的在二语习得研究中的实例，帮助二语习得者避免母语负迁移，或者把负迁移转换成正迁移，从而使学生熟练掌握第二语言。本文语料来自同类研究加上学生的作业资料。对于二语习得中的母语负迁移这项研究，我们主要采取对比分析和错误分析的方法。最后，希望本研究能够对中国学生使用地道的英语有所帮助。关键词：负迁移，英语学习，第二语言，第二语言习得Contents1 Introduction2 Literature Review3 The negative transfer of Chinese in English learning3.1 The negative transfer in pronunciation3.2 The negative transfer in vocabulary3.3 The negative transfer in syntax3.4 The negative transfer in culture4 An empirical Study4.1 Study method and explanation4.2 The classification of errors in the students composition4.3 The detail analysis of the influential errors in students compositions4.3.1 Influenced by morphology4.3.2 Influenced by vocabulary4.3.3 Influenced by syntax4.3.4 Influenced by discourse5 The countermeasures to avoid negative transfer in English teaching6 ConclusionReferencesAppendixAcknowledgements25- 1 IntroductionNowadays, many researchers find that the influence of the native language in Chinese students English learning is becoming increasingly powerful, and it is believed that the main influence will be negative. In the study of SLA, the influence of L1 to the acquisition of Second Language may be positive and negative, and we call them positive transfer and negative transfer separately. For many years study, SLA researchers have found that the most obvious parts appearing in the transfer of English learning are the pronunciation, syntax, vocabulary and culture aspects. As for this study, I will try to use the Contrastive Analysis method and the Error Analysis method to investigate the negative transfer occurring in the homework of the students in polytechnic school so as to give more concrete examples in SLA learning and teaching so that they can avoid the negative transfer or shift the negative transfer to positive transfer, thus help them to achieve a high proficiency of the second language-English. The materials included in this study are taken from some journals and books on the library, as well as some data from students homework. As for the special study of negative transfer of L1, the methodologies used are Contrastive Analysis and Error Analysis. This paper will first analyze the negative transfer of L1 in these four aspects, then have an empirical study of errors made in students compositions, and testify the conclusions that made by the SLA researchers and hypotheses, and finally put forward some suggestions and advices to second language learning and teaching. Therefore, in the end, I hope this study can help the Chinese students using idiomatic English rather than Chinglish.2 Literature Review. Studies abroad As for the studies abroad, three concepts must be mentioned in this SLA field, those are Contrastive Analysis, Creative Construction theory and Universal Grammar. Firstly, we should know what SLA is. Second language acquisition, or SLA, is the processes by which people learn languages in addition to their native tongue(s). Just as second language is the standard term for any language whose acquisition starts after early childhood, including what is chronologically the third or subsequent language, SLA is the acquisition of any second language. The language to be learned is often referred to as the "target language" or "L2" (and SLA is often called L2A, for "L2 acquisition"). Then when it comes to the Contrastive Analysis, it often refers to the main source of errors in L2 is due to transfer of L1 habits. Errors can be predicted by a contrastive analysis of the L1 and L2. Behaviorists believed that SLA is a process that conquer the old habit and form a new one. Based on this theory, Lado put forward this famous Contrastive Analysis and his hypothesis: People tend to transfer their native language and cultures form, meaning and their distribution to foreign ethnics language and culture. And this hypothesis is the basic idea of Contrastive Analysis.(Gao yuan, 2002) The method of it to study learner errors was a simple procedure of four steps: a, Describing L1 and L2; b, Selecting a linguistic feature; c, Making L1-L2 comparison on this feature; and d, Using the result to predict or explain errors in learners L2 performance. (Ding Yanren, 2004) Contrastive Analysis believed that all errors maybe traced back to L1.What about Creative Construction theory? It is a theory that second language acquisition is a process by which a learner constructs his/her own rule system for the language being learned. It believed that during the process of SLA, its not the mother tongue but the universal cognitive mechanism and the language nature were the important factors that determine the SLA. It completely deny the existence of L1 transfer, this extreme point of view was criticized by many researchers. (Lv Hongmei, Yao Meilin, 2004)Besides, Universal Grammar of Chomsky was also a must to be mentioned. Universal grammar is a theory of linguistics postulating principles of grammar shared by all languages, UG is thought to be innate to humans. It attempts to explain language acquisition in general, not describe specific languages. It contains the innateness hypothesis and the hypothesis testing theory. He believed that a child is born with a language acquisition device(LAD) in his or her mind. This allows the child to master the L1within a remarkably short period of time. (Ding Yanren, 2004)II. Studies at Home Language transfer is a heated discussion in recent years, and there is an increasing number of researchers doing this study. For example, Ma Xiaoyong from Henan University, putting forward his hypothesis: The error analysis of the writing in NMET will help us understand the writing situation of high school students and the existing problems, so as to improve our English teaching in China in his paper “The Transfer into English Syntactic Acquisition by Chinese Senior Middle School Students.” and got the result that: The syntactic problems remain in students writings are mainly influenced by L1. Finally, according to this situation, he gave some suggestions: Teachers in high school should remind students that the logic in Chinese and English is different and choosing the better teaching method according to Chinese teaching characteristics, as well as improving their own professional level.(Ma Xiaoyong, 2005)Another pair of researchers were Lv Hongmei and Yao Meilin, they put forward their hypothesis at their paper named “On the Transfer of Mother Tongue in Second Language Learning and Teaching” as: At present, many researchers would discuss the L1 transfer from the angles of physics and social situation. Though the angle was different, but they all agreed that L1 transfer was a complex cognitive process which was restricted by many factors. At last, according to their findings, they put forward some suggestions: Language education should promote positive transfer and avoid negative transfer, create a proper study environment to let students have a maximum use of L2 and properly use of mother tongue.(Lv Hongmei, Yao Meilin, 2004) The second pair of researchers should be mentioned were Qiu Jixin and Lingbin from Zhejiang Education Institute，they put forward their hypothesis: In students writings, vocabulary ,sentence, text are marked by the interference of Chinese. Their method: experiment study and Error Analysis in the paper named “Negative Transfer of Chinese in English Writing and Its Solutions”, and had the findings: The manifestations of the Chinese interference are: intralingual errors, interlingual errors, Chinese way of thinking, and Chinese text pattern, finally they gave some suggestions to English learning and teaching: strengthening the input of recitation, the application of words and expressions in the context and the analysis of text construction. (Qiu Jixin, Lingbin, 2003)The last researcher should be mentioned was Li Boli from Chongqing Technology and Business University, in his paper “Negative Migration of Language and the Appearing of Chinese-style English”, he put forward his hypothesis: The nature of negative transfer of L1 is the source of Chinglish and Chinglish is the manifestation of negative transfer of Chinese in English learning, and got his findings: Chinglish can be found in the using of vocabulary and the cultural aspect. Then he gave his suggestions: Learning English should under a natural and relaxed environment and should have a strong connection to the actual context. Also, learners should be suggested to participate in various kinds of society activities.IV. SummaryAfter reading all the references, in my opinion, the targets of many of the studies are not so clear, and they often talked about the inter-language transfer, while neglecting the intra-language transfer, also some of the studies concerned more on the theories than the examples, therefore, the examples are often the same and few in number. Furthermore, even though some of them picked up some of the subjects from public and normal schools, they seldom picked up the students of polytechnic schools ran by local people, so its not so persuasive. Through the study of negative transfer, it will make clear to students and teachers that why they have such problems and how to deal with them so that they can know how to learn and teach students English in a correct way and try to avoid the negative transfer.III. Hypotheses about the Present StudyIn language learning, Language Transfer refers to a phenomenon that learners consciously or unconsciously use the regulations of mother tongue to deal with the target language information because they are not familiar with the grammar rules of target language.(Zhengjin, 2004) According to this study, many researchers have put forward many hypotheses, for example, Contrastive Analysis hypothesis of Behaviorism, it believed that the differences between the two languages can explain all the learner errors(Ding Yanren, 2004), that is to say all errors maybe traced back to L1, Creative Construction Hypothesis, it believed that during the process of SLA, its not the mother tongue but the universal cognitive mechanism and the language nature were the important factors that determine the SLA. It completely deny the existence of L1 transfer, this extreme point of view was criticized by many researchers. (Lv Hongmei, Yao Meilin, 2004), and Interlanguage Hypothesis, that is learner language is often called interlanguage which defined as the systematic knowledge of language that is independent of both the learners L1 and the L2 system he or she is trying to acquire. It is a unique linguistic system because it is neither L1 or L2 but at the same time bears resemblances to both.(Ding Yanren, 2004) And for me, based on the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis and Error Analysis, my hypothesis for my own study is: even though Chinese students after reading all the articles listed above, they do not have a clear understanding about negative transfer(the negative transfer of L1 often refers to the errors and improper target language form resulted from the application of L1 patterns and rules.(Ma Xiaoyong, 2005) nor do they know the methods to reduce the errors caused because of the L1 negative transfer, because most of the time, where there is difference between two languages, there is negative transfer, especially the difference has similar appearance but very different nature. Therefore, according to my hypothesis and targeting to Chinese students, I will use the method of collecting lots of examples in my paper so that students can have a clear picture of the concrete negative transfer and avoid the errors.3 The negative transfer of Chinese in English learningThe transfer of Chinese in English learning is inevitable because there are many differences in both Chinese and English. Take pronunciation as an example, there are some vowels in Chinese that do not exist in English, on the other hand, the organs involved in the pronunciation of some Chinese and English sounds may be different. As for the vocabulary, its obvious that there are many different things in different places of the world, so its natural that there is a vocabulary vacancy phenomenon in these two languages. Furthermore, for the different ways of thinking in both Chinese and English, their sentence structures are also different. Finally, Chinese and English have their own cultures. In linguistics opinions, the more differences the two languages have, the more negative transfer there will be. So, in the following parts, I will discuss the negative transfer in all the parts mentioned above.3.1 The negative transfer in pronunciationAs we all know, Chinese and English belong to different language families, for English belongs to India-European Language family and Chinese belongs to Han-Zang Language family. Furthermore, we often think that Chinese is a tone language that it uses the tones to distinguish the meaning of the words while English is an intonation language that it uses the intonations to distinguish the meaning. That is to say, we use different organs to pronounce the consonants and vowels in English and Chinese, so we cannot avoid the negative transfer in the pronunciation. For example, in Chinese is that there is always a vowel following a consonant while in English its common that there are two consonants clustering together in a word. So when Chinese students pronounce English words, they will subconsciously adding the vowel behind the consonant. For instance, they will pronounce the words “black, bless, place, please, space, sterol, dwell, dwarf, drive” to /bE5lAk/, /bE5les/, /pE5leis/，/pE5li：z/, /si5peis/, /si5terRl/,/di5wel/, /dE5wR：f/, /dE5raif/.Another case is that in Chinese, there are only /n/ and