论文：语言迁移现象对英语学习的影响,The Effects of Language Transfer on English Learning.doc

四川大学锦城学院语言迁移现象对英语学习的影响The Effects of Language Transfer on English Learning学 院： 外国语学院 专 业： 英语 年级班级： 08级英语1班 学生学号： 080711005 学生姓名： 张雪峰 指导教师： 李光荣 起止日期： 2011年11月7日至2012年4月7日 制表日期： 2012年 3月7日The Effects of Language Transfer on English Learning Zhang XuefengEnglish 08-1Li Guangrong (Professor)March 7, 2012 摘 要语言迁移现象一直为人们关注和探讨，并在第二语言习得理论和研究中占有重要地位，它与英语学习者能否学好英语有重大关系。在语言学习过程中，第一语言对第二语言学习产生影响的现象就是语言迁移。语言迁移分为正迁移和负迁移，正迁移是指个体已经获得的语言(通常为母语)，对第二语言的学习产生积极促进的作用；反之负迁移则是指个体先前习得的语言对第二语言的习得产生的阻碍作用。本文主要在回顾语言迁移理论的基础上，通过调查问卷的形式了解到汉语语言的正负迁移现象影响英语语言输入（听和读）和输出（说和写）的因素，并总结概括出一些能促进英语学习中语言的正迁移，尽量避免其负迁移的方法，希望能够帮助英语学习者更好地学习英语。关键词：语言迁移；正迁移；负迁移；语言输入；语言输出AbstractLanguage transfer, which linguists have paid attention to, plays a significant role in theory and research of second language acquisition, and is closely linked with English learners English learning. In language learning, transfer is the influence of the first language on the second language acquisition. Language transfer can be classified into positive transfer and negative transfer. The positive transfer refers to facilitating effects of the language already obtained by individual, especially the first language, on the second language acquisition. Conversely, the negative transfer refers to detrimental effects of the first language on second language acquisition. Based on a review of language transfer theories, this study will probe the factors of the effects of positive transfer and negative transfer of Chinese on English input (listening and reading) and output (speaking and writing) through the questionnaire. And the dissertation will summarize some ways to promote the positive transfer and avoid the negative transfer in English learning to help English learners learn it more effectively.Key words: language transfer; positive transfer; negative transfer; language input; language outputContents1. Introduction.12. Literature review .33. Effects of language transfer: A study based on a questionnaire.63.1 Questions to be answered in this study .63.2 Design of questionnaire.63.3 Data Collection and Data Analysis .73.4 Findings .83.4.1 On input .83.4.1.1 Effects of language transfer on English listening.83.4.1.2 Effects of language transfer on English reading.113.4.2 On output .133.4.2.1 Effects of language transfer on English speaking.133.4.2.2 Effects of language transfer on English writing154. Conclusion .18Notes .19Bibliography.20Acknowledgements.Appendix.1. IntroductionIt is not unusual to found that lots of English learners cant apply English proficiently though they have studied English for many years or passed kinds of English tests, like PET, CET and TEM. But why? The reasons may be diverse and complicated. But language transfer, which plays an important role in English learning when learners are in a native language environment, is one of the main reasons.Language transfer，which linguists have paid attention to, plays a significant role in theory and research of second language acquisition, and is closely linked with English learners English learning. Language transfer includes positive transfer and negative transfer. The former is the facilitating influence of cognate vocabulary or any other similarities between the native and the target language, while the latter is a falling back of difference between the native and the target language.1. Terence Odlin, Language Transfer Cross-linguistic influence in language learning.(Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,1989), 262. Ibid, 273. Rod Ellis, The Study of Second Language Acquisition, 2434. Ibid, 2435. An Fengcun, The Bilingual Basiss Effects on English Listening and Reading, Journal of Language and Literature Studies12 (2010):906. Diane Larsen-Freeman and Michael H. Long, An Introduction to Second LanguageAcquisition Research.(Beijing, Foreign language teaching and research press,2008),139-140 7. An Fengcun, The Bilingual Basiss Effects on English Listening and Reading, Jounal of Language and Literature Studies12 (2010):908. Terence Odlin, Language Transfer Cross-linguistic influence in language learning,69. Ibid,1210. Ibid,1211. Rod Ellis, The Study of Second Language Acquisition. (Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press,1994),31512. 王文宇，语言迁移现象研究的回顾与思考，外语教学1（1999）:613. Terence Odlin, Language Transfer Cross-linguistic influence in language learning,7114. Ibid.,7315. Ibid.,7316. Ibid.,7417. Diane Larsen-Freeman and Michael H. Long, An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Research, 105 Just like what Odlin said, “Transfer is the influence resulting from similarities and differences between the target language and any other language that has been previously (perhaps imperfectly) acquired”. Therefore when there are big differences or similarities between the native and the target language, the negative transfer in the process of acquisition of the target language will correspondingly appear. Language transfer has been a central issue in applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and language teaching for at least a century. Although there have been a large number of studies on language transfer, the problems of language acquisition in daily life are in suspense, and more practical studies and methods to solve these problems are needed. So we should pay more attention to the effect of language transfer in the process of language acquisition, and make efforts to promote positive transfer and try to minimize negative transfer. Behaviorist accounts of L2 acquisition propose a direct relationship between input and output. In the process of language acquisition, for any foreign language learners, to comprehend and assimilate the language, namely input, goes first. It means that first we must input the knowledge of the target language through listening and reading. And then we gradually develop the ability to output the target language. But what is input? According to Ellis words, input is used to refer to the language that is addressed to the L2 learner either by a native speaker or by another L2 learner or language which learners are exposed to. More prosaically, input is a short word for "sentences that you read and listen to". Take English as an example, first an English learner gets input he reads and listens to sentences in English. If he understands these sentences, they are stored in his brain. More specifically, they are stored in the part of his brain responsible for language. The acquisition of the symbols and structures of target language begins from our perception organs, ears and eyes, then the mind，which is the input of the target language, and such input is very important. An Fengcun said in his dissertation “For any language learner, to comprehend the target language is very important, the essence of language comprehension is the same, which is to grasp the meaning of the language.” Krashen and Long have argued strongly that SLA is dependent on the availability of comprehensible input before the learners internal processing mechanism can work. If one really wants to learn a second language well, first he has to have an abundant input. And output is the opposite of input, which means "producing sentences by speaking and writing". But how is it possible that one can speak his native language so easily? He want to say something (express some meaning), and correct phrases and sentences just come to him. Most of this process is unconscious: something just appears in his head. He can say it or not, but he doesnt know where it comes from. When he wants to say or write something in that language (when he wants to produce output), his brain can look for a sentence that he has heard or read before a sentence that matches the meaning he wants to express. Then, he imitates the sentence (produces the same sentence or a similar one) and he says his "own" sentence in the language. This process is unconscious: the brain does it automatically. We can speak and write in target language after we listen and read more. The essence of language expression is also important, which is a competence to apply the target language. When we began to learn a target language, first we must input the knowledge of target language through listening and reading. Listening and reading belong to the input category of language study. And speaking and writing belong to the category of output.These two categories are both key components in language study. When we study a second language, we just begin to use another language symbols and structures to express the meanings of the language we have acquired. But the acquisition of the new symbols and structures is influenced by the previous symbols and structures in our minds. Therefore, the rules of previous language are important in second language acquisition and we should acquire a second language by contrast between mother tongue and the target language, and try best to promote positive transfer and avoid negative transfer between languages. This paper is composed of four parts: introduction, literature review, a study of effects of language transfer based on a questionnaire and conclusion. The purpose and significance of this study, as well as the definition of language transfer, language input and language output are presented in the part of introduction. Based on a lot of related documents, the second part reviews the previous studies and the current situation of the research at home and abroad, and confirms the research range of the thesis and research approach. The third part describes the progress of the questionnaire, states the causes and effects of language transfer, and summarizes some feasible and practical methods to help English learners learn English. And the last part reviews the findings of this study and concludes the shortcoming of this study. Through detailed description of the impact of Chinese transfer on English learning from the aspects of language input (listening and reading) and output (speaking and writing), this paper puts forward relevant measures for the promotion of the positive influence and the prevention of the negative influence of Chinese transfer on English learning.2. Literature reviewLanguage transfer refers to the effects of mother tongue on the second language acquisition, including effects on language, such as pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, semantics, etc. The effects of mother tongue also lie in extralinguistic aspects, such as thinking mode, cultural tradition and social history. Transfer can be divided into positive transfer and negative transfer. Positive transfer, which plays a promoting role, arises when the rules of mother tongue and the target language are the same or similar to each other. But negative transfer appears, when there are differences between rules of mother tongue and the target language, especially those underlying differences which are similar to each other in surface. Those underlying differences may be taken as the interference of language learning and the causes of language errors.Discussions of transfer often begin with the work of American linguists in the 1940s and 1950s. Yet while the work of Charles Fries, Robert Lado, and others was clearly a major catalyst for subsequent research, serious thinking about cross-linguistic influences dates back to a controversy in historical linguistics in the nineteenth century. The effects of cross-linguistic influence can often be distinguished through the use of the terms borrowing transfer and substratum transfer. Borrowing transfer refers to the influence a second language has on a previously acquired language. And substratum transfer is the type of cross-linguistic influence investigated in most studies of second language acquisition; such transfer involves the influence of a source language (typically, the native language of a learner) on the acquisition of a target language. Since transfer occurs in a wide variety of social contexts, a thorough understanding of cross-linguistic influence depends very much on a thorough understanding of those contexts. Dulay, Burt and Krashen have claimed that transfer will be significant in acquisition affected by formal instruction but will be less so in naturalistic second language acquisition. While transfer is primarily a psychological phenomenon, its potential effect on acquisition may be large or small depending on the complex variations of the social settings in which acquisition takes place.Some linguists consider that language transfer is just because of the lack of knowledge of foreign language mastered by learners. But the cognitive school paid much attention to the study of restrictive factors of transfer and the research of cognitive criterion of transfer. And the study of restrictive factors of transfer mainly probed factors which make transfer wax and wane. In 2000, Ellis listed six constraints on transfer:(1) different levels of language (phonology, lexis, grammar, and discourse) ，(2) social factors (the effect of the addressee and of different learning contexts on transfer), (3) markedness(the extent to which specific linguistic features are special in some way), (4) prototypicality(the extent to which a specific meaning of a word is considered core or basic in relation to other meanings of the same word), (5) language distance and psychotypology (the perceptions that speakers have regarding the similarity and difference between languages), and (6) developmental factors (constraints relating to the natural processes of interlanguage development). It is considered that the studies of language transfer in recent 50 years can be classified into three categories: (1) Contrastive Analysis Theory and researches of language transfer, (2) Markedness Theory and researches of language transfer, (3) Cognitive Theory and researches of language transfer. From the nineteenth century on, the standards of evidence for transfer have been rising, and the empirical support for the importance of c