Abstract
There have been numerous studies of first Language (L1) transfer in second Language (L2) learning. Various models have been proposed to explore the sources of language transfer and have also caused many controversies over the nature of language transfer and its effects on interlanguage. Different from most previous studies remaining at a surface level of observation, this study proposes an abstract approach, which is abstract because it goes beyond any superficial observation and description by exploring the nature and activity of the bilingual mental lexicon in L2 learning. This approach adopts the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (BLAM) (Wei, 2006a, 2006b) and tests its crucial assumptions and claims: The bilingual mental lexicon does not simply contain lexemes but abstract entries, called “lemmas”, about them; lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are language-specific; language-specific lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are in contact in L2 learning, lemmas underlying L1 abstract lexical structure may replace those underlying L2 abstract lexical structure. Lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon are about three levels of abstract lexical structure: lexical-conceptual structure, predicate-argument structure, and morphological realization patterns. The typical instances of L1 lemma transfer in L2 learning are discussed and explained in support of the BLAM.
Highlights
As commonly observed, it is not incompatible to regard Second Language Acquisition (SLA) as being affected by two interrelated processes: learners’ utilization of their L1 knowledge and other languages known to them (Lado, 1957), and learners’ build-up of a body of knowledge in which they rest www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltlsEnglish Language Teaching and Linguistics StudiesVol 2, No 3, 2020 hypotheses formed on the basis of the available L2 data (Dulay, Burt, & Krashen, 1982)
This paper describes and explains sources of language transfer in L2 learning by exploring the nature and activity of the bilingual mental lexicon
Based on the Bilingual Lemma Activation Model (BLAM), the nature of learner errors is defined in terms of the composite nature of the bilingual mental lexicon, and sources of learner errors are described and explained in terms of activation of language-specific lemmas in the bilingual mental lexicon during the IL speech production process
Summary
It is not incompatible to regard Second Language Acquisition (SLA) as being affected by two interrelated processes: learners’ utilization of their L1 knowledge and other languages known to them (Lado, 1957), and learners’ build-up of a body of knowledge in which they rest www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/eltls
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