L1 Transfer Research Articles

Chance vs. Chants

This study was designed to determine if there is a difference between English Language Learner (ELL) production of /s/ in words such as prince and prints, as it appeared that ELLs were pronouncing “prince” for the former, but “print” for the latter. Study subjects completed a dictation task using a paragraph with many words ending in /s/. The results were that final /s/ in words such as prince was produced in 94.1% of the required contexts, while /s/ in words like prints was produced in 64.9% of the required contexts. The structural difference between pairs such as prince and prints is that prince has no internal morphological structure, while prints consists of print + s. The different production rates for final /s/ suggest that ELLs are processing the words differently, and are apparently unconsciously aware of the morphological difference between pairs such prince and prints. Contrary to expectations, this morphological awareness leads to incorrect responses. The discussion shows that issues such as salience, sonority, and L1 transfer cannot account for the data obtained in the study. In the paper suggestions are presented for raising morphological awareness to a more conscious level, thereby potentially aiding acquisition.

L2 acquisition of Japanese null arguments

Abstract Adopting the anti-agreement hypothesis that argument ellipsis is allowed in languages lacking φ-feature agreement, the present study investigates whether second language (L2) learners of φ-feature agreement languages (L1-English L2 learners of Japanese; ELJs) and L2 learners of anti-agreement languages (L1-Mandarin Chinese L2 learners of Japanese; CLJs) can access sloppy interpretations of Japanese null arguments. The results concerning null subjects indicate that both L2 groups behaved similarly to Japanese native speakers (JNSs) by allowing the sloppy reading of null subjects. However, further analysis by L2 proficiency revealed distinct patterns. Intermediate ELJs exhibited L1-transfer of φ-feature agreement, assigning null subjects the strict reading, while the advanced ELJs were able to discard the φ-feature, allowing the sloppy reading. In contrast, CLJs accepted the sloppy reading from the intermediate level, indicating that the absence of the φ-feature functioned as positive transfer. Regarding the results with null objects, both L2 groups performed like JNSs, allowing the sloppy interpretation. Assuming that deleting a feature present in L1 is more difficult than adding a feature absent in L1 to L2, we will explain the results in terms of L1 transfer.

The Impact of L1 Transfer on Learning English Adjective Order by Saudi EFL Learners

The Impact of L1 Transfer on Learning English Adjective Order by Saudi EFL Learners

Word-Final /s/-/z/ Omission in Vietnamese English

Southeast Asian learners of English, including those from Vietnam, frequently omit word-final consonants in their English speech. Previous work on Vietnamese learners of English is limited, and errors are typically usually attributed to first-language transfer effects. No large-scale empirical study on Vietnamese learners has been carried out to aid the development of an evidence-based pedagogy. This study uses authentic spoken data to compare lexical and morphological word-final /s/ and /z/ in the speech of sixteen Vietnamese adult learners of English. We discuss the relative impact of frequency of use, whether the instance of a target /s/ or /z/ is in a root or bound morpheme, and whether the preceding phoneme is a consonant or vowel. An overall omission rate of 28.4% of expected instances was found. Morphological {-s} when it is preceded by a consonant has the highest error rate (50.7%). A multilevel binary logistic regression was performed to ascertain the relative effects. Morphological words containing /s/ or /z/ were significantly more likely to be pronounced with the /s/ or /z/ absent than lexical words containing a /s/ or /z/, as were those in clusters compared to those with a preceding vowel. The results indicate that phonological effects and morphological effects are stacked and not multiplicative and that the observed omission rates are not solely attributable to L1 transfer effects. Frequency of use is also highly correlated with accuracy.

Do First Language, Word Frequency and Input Matter in Bilingual’s Language Acquisition?

The acquisition of morphosyntactic features, such as third-person singular (3SG) inflection, is a critical aspect of language development. While much research has focused on monolingual children’s acquisition of 3SG inflection, less is known about how bilingual children navigate this process, particularly those from non-inflectional first language (L1) backgrounds. Furthermore, two well established characteristics found in other bilingual groups: word frequency and L1 transfer are still remain unclear in the acquisition of 3SG inflection in Chinese-English bilingual groups. Addressing these gaps are crucial for understanding the unique challenges bilingual children face and the factors influencing their acquisition of English morphosyntatic feature. In this study, we employed corpus to analyze longitudinal naturalistic data from three Chinese-English bilingual children and one English monolingual child. We investigated the children’s use of 3SG inflection across obligatory contexts, examining the frequency of verb exposure in both parental input and a large corpus (COCA). Our results indicate that bilingual children, especially those from a non-inflectional L1 background, demonstrated delayed acquisition of 3SG inflection compared to monolingual counterparts. However, both groups showed better accuracy with high-frequency verbs, underscoring the importance of input frequency. Additionally, L1 transfer effects were evident in both monolingual children and bilingual children, with the bilingual children struggling more with verbs whose L1 lacked verb agreement. These findings suggest that both input frequency and L1 transfer play significant roles in shaping bilingual children’s acquisition of 3SG inflection. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of bilingual language development, with implications for language acquisition theory and educational practices, particularly in addressing the needs of children from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Exploring the Development of Progressive Construction in Chinese and Japanese EFL Writing: A Usage‐Based Approach

AbstractThis study investigates the developmental trajectory of progressive construction among Chinese and Japanese EFL learners through a usage‐based approach. A total of 600 written essays, produced by EFL learners from China and Japan with proficiency levels ranging from elementary to upper‐intermediate, were analyzed. The findings reveal that advanced EFL learners, irrespective of their L1 backgrounds, exhibit higher productivity in using progressive constructions, aligning more closely with native English speakers. Moreover, the results support the aspect hypothesis, as activity verbs are predominantly marked with progressive across all learner groups. As for the development of progressive construction, less prototypical verb types in progressives increase proportionally with proficiency levels in the top 10 contingencies. However, discrepancies in proportions among Chinese and Japanese EFL learners underscore the need for a further examination of the intricate patterns of non‐prototypical form‐meaning associations across L1 backgrounds. The present study bears significance in shedding light on the acquisition of tense‐aspect morphology influenced by L1 transfer and learner proficiency.

Exploring the Challenges of L1 Negative Transfer among Vietnamese English Language Learners: A Qualitative Study

The current study aimed to gain insight into the nuanced challenges that Vietnamese learners encountered due to the interference of their native linguistic structures and norms. This qualitative study explored the experiences of Vietnamese learners in acquiring English, focusing on the influence of negative L1 transfer. This study focused on the influence of negative transfer from their first language (L1) by drawing upon in-depth interviews and observational data from a group of Vietnamese university students. The results showed that despite exhibiting high levels of motivation and enthusiasm for learning English, Vietnamese learners struggled with the shadows of L1 interference in areas such as pronunciation, syntax, and idiomatic expressions. The tonal nature of the Vietnamese language led to intonation patterns in English that deviated from native norms. Direct translations also contributed to unidiomatic English, indicating a deep influence of L1 thought patterns. Additionally, cultural contexts embedded within the Vietnamese language presented challenges, as some concepts and expressions lacked direct English equivalents. Although students faced various obstacles, they utilized a variety of adaptive techniques to lessen the impact of negative transfer. These techniques included code-switching, peer correction, and self-reflection. The study emphasized the significance of recognizing and comprehending the significant role of L1 when creating English language educational programs and teaching techniques for Vietnamese students. By illuminating the specific challenges and adaptive strategies of these learners, educators could personalize their approaches, leading to a more comprehensive and efficacious language-learning atmosphere.

Refusals in Japanese and Spanish: Pragmatic Transfer in L2

The article presents a heuristic approach to studying the strategies of refusal employed by advanced Japanese learners of Spanish as a foreign language when compared with those of native speakers of Spanish and of Japanese. It examines responses of refusal to requests, invitations, offers, and suggestions while observing the linguistic phenomena of pragmatic transfer used by the speakers. We administered a discourse completion to elicit refusal strategies from participants. The data include 1101 strategies employed in 432 responses formulated by 54 participants comprising advanced Japanese learners of Spanish, native speakers of Spanish, and native speakers of Japanese We found that linguistic ability among Japanese learners correlated positively with pragmatic transfer. The findings demonstrate how cultural priming and the degree of freedom with which learners prompt their responses are interrelated within their mental pragmatic interface in given situations.

DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSLATING POLYSEMOUS LEXICAL ITEMS AND THE STRATEGIES ADOPTED: A CASE STUDY OF EFL LEARNERS AT SABER FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND EDUCATION – DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH - UNIVERSITY OF LAHIJ

This study aimed to investigate the knowledge of the undergraduate students in translating three Arabic polysemous lexical items into English in different contexts. The research aimed to assess the student's proficiency in giving the meaning of polysemous words and measure their ability to select appropriate equivalents as well as the strategies adopted. The study involved thirty students from the Department of English, Saber Faculty of Science and Education. The participants carried out a translation test that contextualized three Arabic lexical polysemous lexical items (ضرب - حصر- تخفيف) within fifteen sentences. Statistical analysis of the data revealed a lack of knowledge among undergraduate students as they faced difficulties in constructing proper sentence patterns and a lack of competence in finding the exact English equivalents, resulting in challenges in selecting words that formed coherent English sentences and violating the sentence structure. Consequently, their production of correct English sentences was compromised. Furthermore, the study identified that the students relied on various language strategies, including L1 transfer, synonymy, avoidance, and paraphrasing, to facilitate their translation process. However, these strategies led to unsatisfactory English translations.

Effects of L1 Transfer on the Interpretation of Korean Reflexive Pronouns by Advanced-Level L1-Chinese and L1-Azerbaijani Learners

Effects of L1 Transfer on the Interpretation of Korean Reflexive Pronouns by Advanced-Level L1-Chinese and L1-Azerbaijani Learners

Naturalistic L2 acquisition and the formation of an immigrant variety of Spanish

Immigrants in their host country sometimes take advantage of the assistance offered in order to learn formally the host country language in a classroom setting. This is not always the case. This contribution examines the variety of Spanish that was created by an immigrant who arrived in Spain to work in the restaurant industry. Because of her work situation, she did not take formal Spanish lessons. Rather, she constructed her own variety of Spanish based on input she received on the job and in her interactions with native Spanish speakers. Three aspects of her grammatical system are the focus: tense-aspect marking, copula use, and the pronoun system. The solutions the immigrant created for communication show she has developed a grammar that is different from that of the native speakers of the host language , and its nature is largely predictable by appealing to frequency and detectability of forms in discourse and the process of L1 transfer.

Unraveling interlanguage variability: A psycholinguistic exploration of morphological forms in Iranian ESL learners' written performance

The present research study aimed to investigate the psycholinguistic aspects of interlanguage (IL) variability in English as a second language learners from Iran. Three morphological forms were specifically examined in this study: the plural "-s," past tense forms, and present tense forms. In order to investigate the learners' cognitive processes, the researchers used a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative semi-structured interviews with quantitative analysis of written task performance. Under various task conditions, learners exhibited two opposing patterns of IL variability (increasing and decreasing) in their morphological forms. Various degrees of accuracy were noted for every kind of morpheme. Different students allocated their attention differently to form and meaning in both under pressure and relaxed task environments. The observed variations could have been caused by limited working memory and attention capacity in addition to L1 transfer. The research indicated that the field of second language acquisition could benefit from an explanatory approach to comprehend IL variability from the learner's perspective. It provides recommendations for larger-scale research projects in a variety of educational contexts, along with pedagogical implications.

The effect of linguistic and extralinguistic features on EFL adverb placement

Abstract Larsson et al. (2020) emphasize the importance of taking linguistic variables (e.g., verb type) into consideration in studies of adverb placement. This study looks at the positional distribution of 15 epistemic adverbs from texts written by L1 Turkish, German, and English students, with the aim of testing whether the findings from Larsson et al. can be generalized to a different register (argumentative writing) and a typologically more distant language (Turkish). We also revisit the question of whether there is L1 transfer. The results confirm Larsson et al.’s finding that the main predictors of adverb placement are linguistic, although some register differences were noted, such as higher frequencies of adverbs in the argumentative texts. Furthermore, the L1 Turkish students made especially frequent use of the clause-initial position (e.g., probably she is here).

The influence of Guarani on gender agreement in Paraguayan and Correntino Spanish: A contrastive analysis

In this paper we analyze the influence of Guarani, a genderless language, on patterns of gender agreement in two distinct Spanish varieties, Paraguayan Spanish and Correntino Spanish. Using two unique conversational corpora, we show that, of the two varieties, Paraguayan Spanish more closely resembles Standard Spanish in patterns of gender agreement, but the cases of nonagreement that do occur are found in a wide variety of linguistic contexts, resembling the kinds of transfer effects common in L2 varieties of Spanish in speakers whose L1 is genderless. Correntino Spanish exhibits patterns of nonagreement that are not only more common but are limited in linguistic scope, i.e., only occurring in noun phrases involving feminine nouns with non-article modifiers. We attribute the differences between these two varieties to the differing presence of Guarani in the two regions where they are currently spoken. Paraguayan Spanish, in closer contact with Guarani, is subject to synchronic L2 transfer effects, while Correntino Spanish, a largely monolingual variety in the modern day, is characterized by diachronic L2 transfer effects that have fossilized and come to be found in the speech of monolinguals.

An Applied Linguistic Approach to Grammatical Errors Analysis: The Case of First -year Master Students at the Department of English

Error Analysis is a tool that researchers in applied linguistics use to scrutinize errors made by foreign language learners through the comparison between errors made by learners of a target language and their native language system. It is widely used nowadays for it helps scholars identify the difficulties in the acquisition of a foreign language. It allows teachers to know their students’ errors and give special attention to them. This paper aims at analyzing first-year Master students’ grammatical errors at the Department of English in Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef in order to recognize their errors, describe and categorize them and explain their occurrence. Twenty essays were randomly selected and analyzed focusing on students’ grammatical errors only. Students were given one hour and a half to write an essay in which they explain how a researcher formulates a good research title. The study was based around one research question: What are the most frequent grammatical errors made by students of English as a foreign language? It was found out that reliance on L1 to L2 transfer may have an impact on misleading foreign language learners, thus, they produce grammatical errors while writing. EFL teachers should be able to deal effectively and positively with types of their students' errors.

Rhythm in the Kingdom: a variationist analysis of speech rhythm in Tongan English

This article presents an analysis of speech rhythm in Tongan English, an emergent variety spoken in the Kingdom of Tonga. The normalised Pairwise Variability Index (nPVI-V) is used to classify the variety and determine the social and stylistic constraints on variation in a corpus of conversational and reading passage data with 48 speakers. Findings reveal a greater tendency towards stress-timing in speakers of the emergent local elite, characterised by white-collar professions and high levels of education, and those with a high index of English use. Variation is discussed as a consequence of proficiency, language contact and L1 transfer. An acoustic analysis of vowels in unstressed syllables of eight speakers confirms that lack of vowel centralisation (higher F1) is an underlying linguistic mechanism leading to more syllable-timed speech. Stark interspeaker variation was identified, highlighting the need to proceed with caution when classifying L2 Englishes based on speech rhythm.

Maximizers hyping in Chinese MA learners’ and experts’ academic discourse: An EUM-based study

The research is to examine the utilization of maximizers as a strategic tool to attain academic rhetorical hype within the realm of Chinese MA theses (CLMA_C) and international journal articles (ILJA_C). Maximizers, which convey heightened intensity and personal commitment, play a crucial role in shaping rhetorical strategies in academic discourse. The study employs the EUM model (Sinclair’s theory of extended units of meaning). By adopting this model, the research makes a significant contribution to elucidating the intricate linguistic choices within scholarly communication. The goal is to analyze the collocation features of the maximizers in CLMA_C and ILJA_C. The goal determines the choice of the subject of research – identifying similarities and differences in the use of maximizers in two databases (international journal articles (ILJA_C) and Chinese MA theses (CLMA_C). The novelty of the research is that the study employs the EUM model to analyze maximizers in CLMA_C and ILJA_C, allowing for a comprehensive examination of both collocational form and contextual meaning. The analysis includes an exploration of lexical patterns, colligation, semantic preference, and semantic prosody, offering a multifaceted understanding of how maximizers contribute to rhetorical strategies. This research uniquely explores maximizers in collocational form and meaning using the EUM model, offering nuanced insights into their role in rhetorical hype and revealing cross-cultural variations through the similarities and significant differences in CLMA_C and ILJA_C. The study contributes significantly to second language acquisition and comparative linguistics, advancing knowledge on maximizers in academic communication. Findings show lexical pattern similarities but significant differences in colligation, semantic preference, and semantic prosody. In CLMA_C, “fully” lacks diverse collocates, with varied colligation patterns influenced by L1 transfer. Regarding semantic prosody, experts adopt a commendatory tone, while Chinese MA learners express an affirmative tone.

“Let’s Move on to the Recommendations.” The Use of Phrasal Verbs in Business Presentations of University Students in Hong Kong

Phrasal verbs (PVs), as a notoriously difficult L2 feature, have attracted the attention of applied linguists for a few decades. Empowered by corpus linguistics, the current study explored the quantity and quality of PVs in business presentations of university students in Hong Kong, to investigate nuances of the PV production of students in contexts. The learner corpus consists of twenty business case study presentations by 36 mixed-L1 students. Quantitative results showed that students used a sizeable number of PVs accurately. The most common lexical verbs showed a different pattern compared with native speakers of English, while the most common adverbial particles were mostly identical to those used by native speakers. International students seemed to use more PVs than Chinese L1 students and the avoidance phenomenon was observed on a few PVs. The unnatural PV use mostly stemmed from misuse of the adverbial particles due to negative L1 transfer and two instances of creative PV use were observed on English L1 speakers. We advise language teachers to incorporate more comprehensive instruction of PVs in business English courses (including common collocations, syntactic particularities, and polysemy) as well as more authentic L2 exposure.

Cross-Linguistic Interference in the Syntactic and Semantic Acquisition of Arabic Language

The present study aims to investigate cross-linguistic interference in the syntactic and semantic acquisition of Arabic. An essay writing test is used to collect data. A total of 30 English and Spanish speakers of Arabic participates in this quantitative study. The participants are selected from three language centers in Jordan via convenient sampling procedures. The analysis of data reveals the following main findings: L1 transfer errors made by English and Spanish speakers of Arabic at the syntactic level account for 45% and 22.1%, respectively, while the percentage of intralingual errors made by English and Spanish speakers of Arabic at syntactic level account for 55%, and 77.9% respectively. On the other hand, the findings demonstrate that the percentage of L1 transfer errors made by English and Spanish speakers of Arabic at the semantic level are 34.85% and 14.3%, respectively, while the total percentage of intralingual errors made by English and Spanish speakers of Arabic at semantic level account for 65.15%, and 85.7 % respectively. The primary source of errors made by English and Spanish speakers of Arabic at both syntactic and semantic levels is intralingual interference.

Approaching digital genre composing through reflective pedagogical praxis

With the development of Web 2.0 we have witnessed an ever-expanding repertoire of digital genres. This brings with it new communicative needs and invites us to reflect on possible ways of teaching digital multimodal composing in EAP courses. Using case study research and genre theory as a heuristic, this article critically discusses the implementation of a pedagogical practice that sought to raise the students' rhetorical consciousness of aspects of genre continuity, evolution and innovation, focusing on digital genres of professional and public science communication. The examination of the digital texts composed by the students shows that several factors (genre awareness, genre knowledge transfer, reliance on acquired content and formal schemata and interdiscursive performance) may play an important role when recontextualising specialised content across genres. The study findings also suggest that while rhetorical consciousness facilitates the processes of recontextualising and repurposing content to reach broad audiences, L1 transfer could negatively influence digital genre composing. In light of the findings, I advocate explicit instruction in “metageneric texts” and methodologies for raising awareness of “inter-genre-al” forms across connected genres online. This instruction could support the students’ professional development and the participatory framework for scientific research advocated by the Open Science agenda.