A Study Of Transfer In School English Language Teaching

Language transfer was first put forward in the 1960s."Transfer"was originally a psychological term. It refers to the process of automatic, uncontrolled and subconscious use of prior learned behaviour in an attempt to produce new responses. Language transfer is a common phenomenon in the process of foreign language learning. Language Transfer has long been the part and parcel of the studies on the Second Language Acquisition(SLA). And the influence that mother tongue exerts on SLA is constantly a hot issue that concerns most researchers in the field of SLA. Language transfer is the influence resulting from the similarities and differences between the target language(TL) and any other language that has been previously acquired. This effect can be positive or negative. In the case of similarities between the L1 (first language) and L2 (second language), it functions positively, while in the case of the differences, it functions negatively. Study on transfer has a history of about a century. Initially, transfer is related to behaviourist theories. The representative Charles.C. Fries and Robert Lado maintain that similarities and differences between mother tongue and second language result in the easiness and difficulty in SLA. The flouring of cognitive linguistics refutes the thinking, which advocates second language learners make strategic use of their mother tongue in the process of SLA. Language transfer is a very complex process. There are many factors affecting it and these factors interact with each other. Many works have made an analysis on transfer, however, few researches combine the ontological with empirical aspects.On the basis of previous research, combining with empirical cases, this thesis makes a tentative but detailed exploration of both positive transfer and negative transfer at different language levels between the L1 and the L2 through learner's interlanguge, namely, vocabulary level, grammar level, idiomatic usage and so on so as to give the reader a clear picture of both the positive and negative roles that the L1 play in the process of SLA. Since there is a close relationship between transfer theory and teaching methodology, this thesis sets forth some implications on foreign language teaching.First, the thesis explains what language transfer is and studies the historical background of causing language transfer, classsifications of language transfer. And then it discusses the cause of positive and negative transfer from the theoretical aspects and tries to testify the prediction by employing the methods of research, analysis and illustration. In the process of analyzing, we have found a lot of surprising similarities which demonstrates that the positive transfer will facilitate the acquisition of L2 and also a lot of dissimilarities which result in negative transfer. Finally, it proposes some teaching principles and strategies using language transfer theory from the macro-level perspective. In foreign language teaching, we believe that incorporating the concept of language transfer in English teaching may facilitate learners'learning of English.As English language teachers, we should make appropriate use of learners'L1, be fully aware of the significance of linguistic universals, make full use of the similarities and differences between these two languages, realize the importance of cultural knowledge and introduce cultural background to the learners. This thesis just aims to explore effective ways to facilitate positive transfer and avoid negative transfer. What is necessary is to convert negative transfer into positive and bring positive transfer into full play. It is hoped that the research will help to improve the quality of foreign language teaching.