Keywords
Second language acquisition
Negative transfer
English writing teaching
Chinglish
Published : 2026-08-04
Abstract
This paper explores the function and influence of L1 transfer in second language acquisition, with a specific focus on English learning within the Chinese context. Language transfer acts as a dual force in the learning process; while inter-lingual commonalities rooted in universal grammar can facilitate positive transfer and boost learner confidence, the structural and conceptual differences between languages often trigger negative transfer, leading to language errors and learning difficulties. Focusing on English writing instruction, this study demonstrates that the tracks of L1 negative transfer are highly conspicuous across vocabulary, grammar, and cultural thinking dimensions. Specifically, students frequently misapply word forms due to differences in plural concepts, omit necessary subjects because of the distinct subject-predicate relations in Chinese, and produce rigid “Chinglish” expressions by directly applying native thinking habits to English sentence building. To address these issues, the paper suggests that teachers should provide targeted guidance—such as analyzing typical mistakes, contrasting sentence patterns, and cultivating target-language thinking—to effectively minimize the negative interference of the mother tongue and progressively improve students’ comprehensive writing literacy.
References
Rast R, 2008, Foreign Language Input: Initial Processing. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Multilingual Matters. https://doi.org/10.21832/9781847690432
Benítez-Burraco A, Moran S, 2018, The Adaptive Value of Languages: Non-linguistic Causes of Language Diversity. Frontiers in Psychology, 9: 1827.
Baker C, 2011, Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Multilingual Matters, 79.
García O, 2011, Bilingual Education in the 21st Century: A Global Perspective. John Wiley & Sons.
Wang Z, 2017, November, A Sociocultural Perspective on the Role of L1 in L2 Learning: A Comparative Analysis of Two L2 Studies. In Proceedings of the 2017 International Conference on Education and E-Learning, 77–80, ACM.
Wang Y, 2017, An Analysis of the Impact of Mother Tongue Transfer on English Learning and Teaching Strategies. Reading and Writing (Education and Teaching Journal), (7): 2.
Huo X, 2016, A Brief Analysis of the Application of Mother Tongue Transfer Theory in English Teaching. Journal of Hubei Correspondence University, 29(3).
Bialystok E, 2018, Bilingual Education for Young Children: Review of the Effects and Consequences. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 21(6): 666–679.
Alghamdi A, Daller M, Milton J, 2019, The Persistence of L1 Patterns in SLA: the Boundary Crossing Constraint and Incidental Learning. VIAL, Vigo international journal of applied linguistics, (16): 81– 106.
Fromkin V, Rodman R, Hyams N, 2018, An Introduction to Language. Cengage Learning.
Evans H, Rafieyan V, 2018, Using L1 to Encourage More Complex and Fluent Production in L2 Tasks. Modern Journal of Language Teaching Methods, 8(9): 87– 105.
Yang Y, 2016, An Exploration of the Influence of Mother Tongue Transfer on Senior High School English Writing Teaching. Middle School English, (4): 12.
Cai J, Li J, 2016, Research Methods of Language-Level Transfer and Concept Transfer. Foreign Languages, (4): 2–10.
Maniam M, Kesevan HV, 2016, Mother Tongue Syntactical Influence in a ESL Class. International Journal of Language & Linguistics, 3(3): 46–50.
Dinar AA, 2016, Influence of the Semantic Aspects of Mother Tongue on Learning English as a Foreign Language, Doctoral dissertation, Sudan University of Science and Technology.
Zhao S, 20l7, Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Enlightenment. In Asia International Symposium on Language, Literature and Translation, 696.