Abstract

Mother tongue transfer is an inevitable phenomenon in students’ second language learning and it could be divided into positive transfer and negative transfer. Many scholars at home and abroad have devoted themselves into the researches of mother tongue transfer and have made great contributions. However, most of them pay much attention to English writing and focus little on English speaking. As for middle school students, the researches on their English speaking are much more rare, which results in the fact that English teachers and students in middle school are unaware of the influence caused by negative mother tongue transfer and could not come up with efficient teaching or learning methods to improve students’ speaking performance. So it is necessary to carry out this research. 

This thesis studies whether the negative transfer of mother tongue influences middle school students’ English speaking and how it works. Questionnaire and speaking test are adopted. And 45 students from a middle school with different grades take part in the research. The data include questionnaire answers, the total errors in students’ speech texts, classifications of errors and errors in vocabulary. Then analyse these errors by contrasting different usages of words in English and Chinese. At last, put forward several methods for English teaching and learning.

 The results of the research show that negative transfer of mother tongue influences students’ way of thinking. To be specific, students would organize their speeches in mind in Chinese and then translate them into English. Besides, negative transfer of mother tongue would mix up students’ memorizing language rules in English and Chinese so that their errors in English always could be explain in Chinese. Then according to these influences, in English teaching and learning, teachers should compare and analyse the similarities and differences between Chinese and English, motivate students’ interest and attitudes towards English learning and help students to think in English to improve students’ English speaking performance. Only regarding English and Chinese as two individual and connected parts, can students avoid negative transfer of mother tongue and absorb English knowledge thoroughly and efficiently so as to improve their speaking performance as much as possible.  

Key words: negative transfer: mother tongue: middle school students: English speaking: vocabulary: error analysis

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

Introduction-1

Chapter One  Literature Review-2

1.1 Transfer and language transfer-2

1.2 The researches abroad-2

1.2.1 Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis-3

1.2.2 The Interlanguage Hypothesis-3

1.2.3 The Markedness Theory-4

1.2.4 The Connectionist Theory-5

1.2.5 The Conceptual Transfer Hypothesis-5

1.2.6 The Error Analysis Theory-5

1.3 The researches at home-6

Chapter Two  Methodology-8

2.1 Questions in the Research-8

2.2 Research Subjects-8

2.3 Research Instruments-8

2.3.1 Questionnaire-9

2.3.2 English Speaking Test-9

Chapter Three  Data Analysis and Discussions-11

3.1 Data Collection-11

3.1.1 Questionnaire Data Collection-11

3.1.2 English Speaking Test Data Collection-12

3.2 Data Analysis-13

3.2.1 Questionnaire Data Analysis-13

3.2.2 Data of Errors in the Vocabulary Analysis-14

3.3 Discussion-18

Chapter Four  Conclusion-19

4.1 Major Finding-19

4.2 Solutions for Spoken English Learning-19

4.2.1Significance of Viewing the Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue in a Right Way-19

4.2.2 Solutions of Overcoming the Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue in Spoken English Learning-20

4.3 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Study-21

References-22

Appendix Ⅰ (Questionnaire)-23