Some Differences Between English and Chinese and the Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue in EFL Learning

The paper discusses 3 significant differences between Chinese and English. It proposes that because of the differences, the transfer of mother tongue into the target language tends to appear in the negative form. The negative transfer of Chinese into English is the major cause of the so-called Chinglish. The paper states some forms of the negative transfer.

Error and the Mother Tongue

This papar discusses the errors made by students out of the mother tongue interference in their English learning process and analyze the reasons for errors,which is regarded as a useful method for language teaching.

The Melodramatic Narrative and Ontological Quest in Demetria Martinez＇s Mother Tongue

The study deals with Demetria Martinez＇s Mother Tongue （1994）, which is a love story between a Mexican American woman and a Salvadoran refugee. The female protagonist, Mary, delves into connotations of love, expanding it to understanding of the other. The story deploys politically imbricated religious practices in relation to the U.S. Sanctuary movement in the 80s. Mary＇s amorous encounter with the other leads her to discover the expansion of friendship and solidarity and, ultimately to rediscover religiosity based on reawakened ethics. This study argues that the melodramatic mode employed in this novel implicitly reveals an inherent aspiration for the sacred, albeit not fully representable. The author＇s involvement in the genre of romance and the melodramatic mode ironically attests to her striving for the spiritual ideal and ontological answer. In the end, this essay reveals that drawing on the popular melodramatic narrative, the romantic engagement with the alterity can be more efficiently introduced into the ontological quest for the absolute presence.

A Study on the Model of Teachers’ Instructional Intervention in Trilingual Teaching Based on the Law of Mother Tongue Acquisition

The research on Trilingual Teaching Model in ethnic areas has become a hot spot.By analyzing the data of the questionnaire,this paper discusses the teachers’instructional intervention model,based on the law of mother tongue acquisition.Trilingual teachers should highlight the role of reading in vocabulary learning and even in improving reading ability.The law of mother tongue acquisition can be one of the main strategies to solve the problems in Tibetan students’English learning.

On How Children Acquire Their Mother Tongue -- Explanation of Chomsky＇s Mental Linguistic Theory

Neither structural linguistics nor behaviorist linguistics can explain how children acquire their mother tongue reasonably, so Noam Chomsky founds mental linguistics. According to the theory of the mental linguistics, the essence of language is interior, physical and genetic. Universal Grammar is the foundation of language development and the most essential part of human beings languages.

A Case Study for the Influence of Mother Tongue Transfer in Non-English Majors'Spoken English

In field of Second Language Acquisition, mother tongue has both positive transfer and negative transfer. Using proper foreign language learning strategies can effectively avoid the negative transfer of mother tongue and improve learners' oral English competence. Based on the theories of language transfer, this thesis mainly focuses on, error analysis and inter-language theory. In recent years, more and more scholars have studied the transfer of mother tongue in the field of College English teaching, and the points are also different. However, there is little research on the influence of mother tongue transfer in non English majors' spoken English. This case study chooses a non-English major student as the research object, and analyzes the causes of errors and linguistic categories in spoken English. The motivation of this student for learning spoken English is to attend graduate oral interview and TOEFL. This subject were asked to attend two oral tests and an interview. Through the anglicizing and investigating of the experimental data, the author finds that the errors in spoken English by the student are mainly affected by the negative transfer and negative cultural transfer of mother tongue. The errors of spoken language transfer are mainly reflected in phonetics, vocabulary, syntax and pragmatics. This thesis will focus on three aspects: vocabulary, syntax and pragmatics. The research results also show that the most difficult problem for non English majors in the course of spoken English is the lack of vocabulary. And so it is difficult to express their ideas in English.

THE FUN THE FUNCTION OF THE MOTHER TONGUE IN ELT

The mother tongue should be treated as an ally in the process of foreign-language teaching and consciously used rather than being ignored and avoided at all costs. From a psychological point of view, it cannot be avoided and that, from a pedagogical point of view, it can facilitate learning if used wisely and deliberately. There is no doubt that the language learner already knows his or her mother tongue, through which, more or less consciously he or she tries to perceive and assimilate the elements of the target language. Utilizing and controlling this tendency instead of ignoring or fighting it will go a long way towards facilitating learning and ensuring success.

The Study of the Mother Tongue:Some English Attitudes to English

研究语言的根本动机不外:一、保存发扬文化,二、探讨哲学或逻辑(详见前讲)。本讲主要述评英国人对其本国语言英语的研究。在欧洲文化史上,先是希腊语盛行,后拉丁语继起,至中世纪末,各国的本地语言在文化上渐取拉丁语而代之。英语的历史就是英语取代拉丁语,成为英国文化上的单一语言,进而发展为欧洲乃至世界上的重要语言的历史。十八世纪后,英语的重要地位虽已确立,长期中英国人仍旧偏重拉丁语的教学与研究,英语研究成为德国学者专擅的学问。十九世纪后叶,Henry Sweet崛起,开创了英国人对英语的科学研究事业。Sweet的英语史研究,首先从语音变迁着手,其有关著作至今为人诵习。Sweet主张,研究语言的过去应当重在研读古文本身;对于德国学者舍本逐末,专务繁琐注释,颇多讥评。Sweet一矫十九世纪欧陆语言学界醉心历史探索而轻视现状研究的风气,力主于理论研究之外,更应有实用的研究,于考古的语言学之外,更应有“活的”语言学;学校教育应当废止古典语文的研习,而提倡学习现代外国语言。对于外语教学,Sweet主张从语音入手,并认为认识母语的特点对于精通外语至关重要。Sweet的语音学著作,今天虽已大多过时,但对后人颇有影响。国际音标即直接导源于Sweet创制的宽式罗密克音标。Daniel Jones继承其业,创立了音位学说,是理解后来的结构主义的一个关键。统观Sweet的语言研究,其主要动机是文化的、实用的,而非哲学的、纯理的。Sweet侧重现代活的语言的研究,强调语言学习的实用方面,适应了当时英国的帝国主义需要。

Study of Native Culture Aphasia and Compensation Strategies in English Education

English teaching in China has attached too much importance to the input of the target language culture,while neglecting our native culture.As a result,students cannot express Chinese culture in English,completely separating Chinese culture from English learning,leading to the serious native culture aphasia.This paper not only analyzes the reasons for this phenomenon from the aspects of curriculum setting,learning motivation,and teachers’quality,but also explains the necessity of integrating Chinese native culture in English teaching.On this basis,effective solutions are put forward from the perspective of classroom teaching,textbook compilation,curriculum arrangement,and so on.

A Study on Primary School English Learners' Consonant Epenthesis Errors

The study, with the reference book of PEP primary school, mainly focuses on the consonant epenthesis errors, analyzing the reasons behind the errors. Hereby it hopes to present some teaching solutions so as to help students to reduce the influence of negative transfer of mother tongue.

Igbo Language and Identity

This paper sought to identify the position of Igbo language in relation to its identity both in Nigeria and world wide Specifically, it expounded the problems hindering the study of Igbo language. A study of Igbo language and identity is pertinent because language and culture are attached to man＇s identity and human interaction Unfortunately, most of the Igbos do not want to be identified with this language called Igbo. The paper reviewed available literature on Igbo language and highlighted some strategies for increasing the interest of people in learning Igbo language. It was discovered from the study that pedagogical problems, tone problems, orthography and diacritic problems, are some of the issues that inhibit the repositioning of Igbo language as lgbo man＇s identity In view of this, it was recommended among others that Igbo linguist should try and document all the slight phonological and word differences existing in the dialects and absorb them in central Igbo

Seemingly ethnopetalism and hidden ethnofugalism in intercultural communication

The film The treatment is supposed to express the idea that understanding and appreciation of each other＇s culture is very important in intercultural communication. But behind this veil, ethnofugalism can be found by way of analyzing their conversations and behaviors. This paper tries to see their attitude towards their mother tongue and their own cultural tradition. It holds that no culture is inferior to others, which is the base on which intercultural communication is built.

University Students＇ Perceptions of English Teachers＇ Codeswitching in Class

Foreign language teachers＇ codeswitching （CS） between Foreign Language （FL） and Mother Tongue （MT） in class has been under discussion for years. Out of the pedagogical concern, many teaching practitioners conducted various studies in different contexts aiming at describing, quantifying, and interpreting teachers＇ CS between FL and MT in class. However, up till now little attention is paid to students＇ perceptions and understandings of teachers＇ CS, which may help improve educators＇ understanding of the phenomenon in FL classrooms. This paper presents the result of two focus group interviews with groups of Chinese university students at their third and fourth year of college. Following a formal interview outline, issues on students＇ recall, understanding and evaluation of teachers＇ CS are addressed in the interview. Based on the analysis of the interviews, a better understanding on foreign language teachers＇ CS is gained, and students＇ perceptions on teachers＇ purposes and reasons for CS are drawn. A framework for investigating foreign language teachers＇ CS in Chinese universities is proposed with two hypotheses generated.

Towards a Collaborative Learning Environment Through ICT： A Case Study

This paper expounds how the possibility of collaboration and construction of knowledge being put into practice in a group of ICT （information and communication technologies）-based teaching and learning programmes for Mother Tongue languages, collectively known as 10＇CMT. 10＇CMT, which is initiated by the ETD （Educational Technology Division） of MOE （Ministry of Education） Singapore, embodies a focus on the development of relevant pedagogy by which web-based technologies are embedded in meaningful learning activities in the classroom. Through a case study of a primary school in Singapore, this paper exemplifies how 10＇CMT has the ability to promote collective knowledge and, by doing so, essentially supporting the growth of the individual student＇s knowledge. It draws on the students＇ engagement in peer editing, peer evaluation, peer interaction, and feedback with self-reflective practices through the affordances of an array of online tools. This paper will also discuss how the 10＇CMT approach promotes the ability to respond flexibly to complex problems, to communicate effectively, to manage information, to work in teams, to use technology, and to produce new knowledge which are deemed to be crucial competencies for 21 st century.

Motivation Drama—— Opening the Text in a Classroom

Drama is an important area in teaching of mother tongue. It should be as important as language and literature. The teacher needs drama as a tool of motivation and as a common exercise for all pupils. In developing a new method, interview drama, the author has used design-based research telling about three samples, where there is document about its advantages. The method has been developed since 1996 and used it with several groups （adult student teachers and young pupils）. As a text the author has used fairy tales, novels, Hamlet and Kalevala. With Finnish2-students we have read Bibi Moves into Finland and writer Kari Hotakainen＇s novel Ihmisen osa （The Human Fortune）. The students have written positively about the interview drama in their learning logs. Also assessments concerning the method have been positive. It is a funny method. It is not possible to fulfill without laughter. Student teachers （n 90） evaluated the method with Likert scale 1-5. The mean was 4,00. They said： very nice; I shall use it; very useful; phantastic; very interesting; deepens the text and makes it very lively. Only a few were astonished, is it possible to use drama in the university.

How to Choose Classroom Language in TEFL

In recent years, the choice of the classroom language has been developed. It has been proposed that English as a TL should be used exclusively in order to facilitate the learners＇ progress in English language acquisition. However it is unrealistic and undesirable to expect a generalist elementary school teacher to teach exclusively in English considering some settings which are shown in this paper. The paper concludes that both English and mother tongue can be used as CL.

The Role of L1 in L2 Vocabulary Teaching and Learning for Chinese Learners of English

This paper examines the function of mother tongue in second or foreign language teaching and learning, focusing on the case of Chinese learners of English. The use of L1 in L2 vocabulary teaching is studied by summarizing relevant theories and by analyzing an example of how Chinese teachers introduce new words to students. The influence of L1 in L2 vocabulary learning is explored through studying three major negative transfers of Chinese learners of English with abundant common and typical examples.Seven implications for L2 teachers are listed as the result of my study.

A CORPUS-BASED STUDY OF "ALMOST" AND "NEARLY" IN CHINESE EFL LEARNERS' WRITING

This paper makes a detailed study on the Chinese learners' use of almost and nearly by comparing the evidence from CLEC, WECCL and LOB. The findings show there are some differences in the learners' and the native speakers' use of the two commonly-used synonyms. Specifically, the Chinese learners (1) display an underuse of both almost and nearly in the overall frequency point of view; (2) tend to overuse, underuse and misuse some colligations; (3) use some inappropriate and atypical collocates; (4) get confused in some colligational and collocational patterns of almost and nearly. The discussions about the above differences reveal the learners' mother tongue interference and their confusion of the two synonyms may play important roles in these non-native uses. Some tentative suggestions are provided to English teaching and learning in China.