An Empirical Study On Reverse Transfer Of Chinese EFL Students

Reverse transfer is the further development of transfer study, which is involved inmany fields of linguistic study and is a hot topic of SLA, language attrition,psycholinguistics and cognitive linguistics. The study of reverse transfer in the conceptuallevel begins from the study of language, and then goes back to language through the studyof concept. Its assumption is that evidence of influence from one language to anotherlanguage appears in language using is because it is influenced by the conceptual categoriesacquired by the study of another language. Therefore, the major study object of conceptualtransfer is the influence of the conceptual categories learned through one language to theexpressions of another language. Its theoretical foundation is the non-linearity nature of thedevelopment of language. The study of reverse transfer is significant for the followingreasons. First, this kind of study has significant theoretical implications for theunderstanding of linguistic competence and language development of native speakers.Secondly, the importance of reverse transfer study in the field of foreign and secondlanguage teaching is obvious. It can better the understanding of language teachers to theinfluence between languages and improves their awareness of reverse transfer in languageteaching. What's more, the study of reverse conceptual structure transfer can be helpful tothe development of psychological and cognitive linguistics and the understanding of theprocess of the internalization of conceptual structures. Last but not least, the study fruits ofreverse transfer can be applied to the native language planning and development, which canplay a role in the work of keeping native language pure and intercultural communication.In China, the study of reverse transfer has just emerged and most of them are theoreticalintroduction. Empirical studies are few, among which the collection of materials andlanguage varieties are not enough and the investigation is not comprehensive. Moreimportant theoretical and practical issues remain to be explored. This study takes ChineseEFL learners as study subjects, based on the research measures suggested by Kecskes&Papp (2009) and systematically describes and analyzes the influence of foreign language onmother tongue under the classroom learning environment. Through the data collection ofChinese EFL learners of different command of English, this study observes the change indifferent aspects of native language expression such as structural well-formedness, sentencebuilding and manipulation, lexical quality and cognitive functioning in order to measure thereverse transfer of Chinese EFL learners. Meanwhile, the author adds some more data to collect based on the research methods of Kecskes&Papp so as to observe other reverseconceptual changes of Chinese EFL learners. Research questions are as follows:1Observe the development of CUCB by examining different levels of Chinese EFLlearners. Does any change of Chinese EFL learners' conceptual system emerge whenlearning and using the language of English?2If English can influence the existing, first-language controlling conceptual system ofChinese EFL learners as a foreign language which has its own cultural background, can theinfluence manifest itself in the use of the first language? If so, how does it manifest itself?This study includes pilot study and present study. In pilot study, the adaptation of theresearch methods suggested by Kecskes&Papp to the study of Chinese EFL learners isdiscussed. Concrete problems are settled and relative terms, number and selective rules oftestees are specified. In the present study, the limitations of pilot study are effectively solved.Conclusion is drawn as follows: It's possible for Chinese EFL learners to establishconceptual connections in the foreign language learning process under the condition ofclassroom teaching, but before that learners must experience a long process of lexicalconnection and the foreign language learning intensity should reach a certain degree.Secondly, as a new language, English can influence the existing, first language controllingconceptual system. The influence manifests itself in the use of learners' first language.Massive and successful English language learning can influence the skills of Chineselanguage use positively. English language learning also Europeanize the development of theChinese usage of Chinese EFL learners.This study has both theoretical and practical significance. This is the first empirical studyof reverse transfer to Chinese EFL learners in china. By modification of the research methodsuggested by Kecskes&Papp, this study describes how the native language of Chinese EFLlearners is affected by intensive English learning and use through numbers, which providesempirical reference to the study of reverse transfer in China. In addition, this study isbeneficial to the healthy development of Chinese English education by objective evaluationof the popular saying in Chinese society: college students in China have better command ofEnglish than that of Chinese.