Keywords
Context
Foreign language teaching
Second language acquisition
Translanguaging
Submitted : 2025-12-16
Accepted : 2025-12-31
Published : 2026-01-15
Abstract
This paper presents a new perspective on language transfer in second language acquisition, shifting the focus from traditional reliance on interlingual similarities to a cognitive process shaped by contextual mediation. On the basis of distributed cognition, we examine how contextual factors, ranging from immediate social situations to broader cultural frameworks, play a crucial role in language transfer. The study suggests that effective language teaching should focus not only on correcting errors but also on developing learners’ awareness of contextual cues and their ability to adapt language use appropriately. This context-based approach provides fresh insights for addressing transfer-related challenges in foreign language learning.
References
Atkinson D, 2011, Alternative approaches to second language acquisition. Routledge.
Canagarajah S, 2011, Translanguaging in the classroom: Emerging implications for language pedagogy. Applied Linguistics Review, 2(1): 1-28.
Clark A, Chalmers D, 1998, The extended mind. Analysis, 58(1): 7-19.
Duranti A, Goodwin C, 1992, Rethinking context: Language as an interactive phenomenon. Cambridge University Press.
Ellis R, 2008, The study of second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
García O, Wei L, 2014, Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. Palgrave Macmillan.
Jarvis S, Pavlenko A, 2008, Crosslinguistic influence in language and cognition. Routledge.
Kellerman E, 1995, Crosslinguistic influence: Transfer to nowhere? Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 15: 125-150.
Kramsch C, 1993, Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford University Press.
Lantolf J P, Thorne S L, Poehner M E, 2015, Sociocultural theory and second language development. In B. VanPatten & J. Williams (Eds.), Theories in second language acquisition: 207-226.
Li W, 2018, Translanguaging as a practical theory of language. Applied Linguistics, 39(1): 9-30.
Odlin T, 1989, Language Transfer: Cross-linguistic Influence in Language Learning. Cambridge University Press.
Ortega L, 2009, Understanding second language acquisition. Hodder Education.
Ringbom H, (2006, Cross-linguistic Similarity in Foreign Language Learning. Multilingual Matters.
Swain M, 2006, Languaging, agency and collaboration in advanced second language learning. In H. Byrnes (Ed.), Advanced Language Learning: The Contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky: 95-108.
Wang C, 2016, A study on language transfer from the perspective of cognition. Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.