Study of Mother Tongue Negative Transfer on Senior High School Students’ English Grammar Learning-A Case Study of the Middle School of Jincheng Mining in Shanxi Province

Abstract

English grammar influences one’s English proficiency, while English grammar is the most headache for most senior high school students. Nowadays, English grammar is widely checked in all different kinds of examinations. Many people think that they are not good at English for which they are bad in English grammar. In fact, negative language transfer is a major reason for poor English grammar for many senior high school students. Mother tongue’s negative transfer is that the mother tongue has a negative effect on the second language learning. Because of the differences between Eastern and Western cultures as well as ways of thinking, Chinese negative language transfer on English grammar is a shared and normal phenomenon. On the basis of language acquisition theory, the grammatical errors which senior high school students often make have been classified into three kinds. By comparing the differences in vocabulary, syntax and discourse between English and Chinese, a summary on the causes of mistakes is done and relative countermeasures to improve students’ confidence on English grammar learning is put forward to effectively promote English grammar learning.