论文总字数：43606字

摘 要

上个世纪50年代以来，母语迁移一直是第二语言习得和语言教学领域里的一个热门话题。母语迁移指的是母语对二语习得的影响，母语和外语之间的相同点会对外语学习产生帮助，不同点则会造成阻碍，甚至导致错误的产生。汉语和英语属于两种不同的语系，它们之间的差异给中国学生们的英语学习带来了很大的困难。在英语四种基本技能，即听、说、读、写中，说是英语交流中最重要的一项技能，也是英语学习中最困难的一项。然而，国内比较注重英语阅读、听力和写作，对英语口语学习尚未有足够的重视，很少有专家学者通过实证研究探讨母语负迁移对英语口语学习的影响，尤其是对词语搭配和句法的影响。

本研究探讨母语迁移对英语专业学生口语词语搭配和句法的影响。本研究以东南大学55个英语专业的大二学生为研究对象。作者观看了他们泛读课的录制视频,，将问答部分和评论部分分别转写成文本，并仔细分析了其中的词语搭配错误和句法错误。

研究结果表明，母语负迁移对英语专业口语词汇搭配和句法都有很大的影响。数据显示，六种词语搭配错误中，“动词 名词”搭配是英语专业学生犯错误最多的，然后是“形容词 名词”搭配和“名词 名词”搭配；句法错误中，学生们犯的最多的分别是主谓一致、流水句和重复赘余。最后作者为英语学习者们提高英语口语水平提出了一些建议。

关键词：母语负迁移，词语搭配，句法

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements i

English Abstract ii

Chinese Abstract iii

Table of Contents iv

List of Tables vi

Chapter One Introduction 1

1.1 Background of the Study 1

1.2 Significance of the Study 1

1.3 Layout of the Thesis 2

Chapter Two Literature Review 3

2.1 L1 Transfer 3

2.2 Collocation 4

2.3 Major Types of Syntactic Errors 5

2.4 Previous Research on L1 Transfer at Home and Abroad 6

2.4.1 Research on L1 Transfer Abroad 6

2.4.2 Research on L1 Transfer At Home 7

2.4.3 Evaluation of Previous Studies 8

Chapter Three Research Methodology 9

3.1 Research Questions 9

3.2 Research Participants 9

3.3 Data Collection 9

3.4 Data Analysis 10

Chapter Four Results and Discussion 12

4.1 The Effects of Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue on Collocation 12

4.2 The Effects of Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue on Syntax 13

Chapter Five Conclusion 18

5.1 Major Findings of the Present Study 18

5.2 Implications 18

5.3 Limitations and Suggestions for Further Studies 19

References 21

List of Tables

Table 1 Different Types of Lexical Collocation Errors 12

Table 2 Different Types of Lexical Collocation Errors Caused by L1 Interference 13

Table 3 Different Types of Syntactic Transfer Errors Caused by L1 Interference ..14

Chapter One Introduction

The first chapter is the introduction of the whole thesis, including the background of the study, significance of the study, and layout of the thesis.

1.1 Background of the Study

English, as one of the important global languages, has been increasingly popular in China. Therefore, great importance has been attached to English learning and teaching, especially in high schools and universities. Among the four basic skills in English learning, speaking is regarded as the most difficult one by Chinese students. However, it has received less attention than listening, reading and writing. It is disappointing that even many English majors in universities are not able to make fluent and authentic conversations or discussions on some complicated topics, such as creativity and aging population, and they are likely to commit mistakes and errors due to the differences between Chinese and English.

Language transfer has always been a heated topic in second language acquisition (SLA) and language teaching and learning since 1950s, and the role of language transfer in SLA has been a controversial topic (Odlin 1989:3). Researchers have paid special attention to the influence of the native language on the learning of the target language. The similarities between the native language and the target language facilitate second language (L2) learning, while the differences always interfere with L2 learning and even lead to mistakes and errors. Most Chinese students have difficulties with English lexis and grammar and they often commit collocation errors like “learn knowledge” and syntactic errors like “He like English” in their speaking and writing.

In this thesis, the author aims to find out the negative effects of L1 transfer on lexical collocation and syntax in English majors’ speaking.

1.2 Significance of the Study

Among the four basic skills in English learning, listening, speaking, reading, and writing, speaking is the most important one in communication, and the most difficult one for EFL learners in China as well. In recent years, high school and university teachers have found that most students are unable to make English conversations in a native way because of the negative influence of L1 transfer. Many researchers have been devoted to finding out the factors that effect English speaking and they have been trying to change the current situation.

Although English majors in universities have learned English at a higher level, they often commit collocation and syntactic errors in their speaking. Therefore, many English teachers have realized that more emphasis should be put on the differences in vocabulary and syntax between Chinese and English. This study is intended to find out the negative influence of L1 transfer on lexical collocation and syntax in English majors’ speaking and the author hopes to provide some useful suggestions for English learning.

1.3 Layout of the Thesis

This thesis contains five parts. Chapter one is the introduction of the thesis, including background of the study, significance of the study and the layout of the thesis. Chapter two is the literature review. First, the author will introduce L1 transfer, collocation and the major types of syntactic errors. Then, the author will list some of the previous studies on L1 transfer both abroad and at home and make an evaluation of the former studies. Chapter three will introduce the research methodology which contains research questions, research participants, data collection and data analysis. Chapter four is the core of the thesis. The author will make a study of the negative effects of L1 transfer on lexical collocation and syntax in English majors’ speaking and make a discussion on the results of the study. Chapter five is the conclusion of the thesis. In this chapter, the author will not only make a conclusion of the major findings of this study and give some advice for English learning, but also point out the limitations of the present study and offer some suggestions for further studies.

Chapter Two Literature Review

This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section is the definition and classification of L1 transfer, and some previous studies on L1 transfer at home and abroad. The second section is the definition and the main types of collocation. And the third section is the major types of syntactic errors.

2.1 L1 Transfer

In the preface of Language Transfer: Cross-Linguistic Influence in Language Learning (Odlin 1989), Long and Richards (1989: ix) claim that “Language transfer has been a central issue in applied linguistics, second language acquisition and language teaching for at least a century”. L1 transfer refers to the influence of the first language (L1) on the second language (L2) learning, and it can be both positive and negative. The similarities between L1 and L2 will facilitate L2 learning, while the differences will hinder L2 learning and even lead to mistakes and errors.

Transfer, as a basic concept in learning psychology, refers to “the phenomenon of previous knowledge being extended to the area of new knowledge”(Sajavaara 1986: 123).

Different researchers have given different definitions to language transfer from their own perspectives. Behaviorists associated transfer with habit formation, and “the behaviorist notion of transfer often implies the extinction of earlier habits.”(Odlin 1989: 25) Fearch amp; Kasper (1986: 243) discussed transfer in a cognitive view. “Within a cognitive paradigm, transfer has been conceptualized, as a problem-solving procedure, or strategy, utilizing first language knowledge in order to solve a learning or a communication problem in second language.”

Among the various definitions given by different linguists, Odlin’s is the most widely accepted one. He argued that transfer is not simply “a consequence of habit formation”, “interference”, or “a falling back on the native language”, and it is “not always native language influence”(Odlin 1989: 25-27). Odlin (1989: 27) defined language transfer as “the influence resulting from the similarities and differences between the target language and any other language that has been previously (and perhaps imperfectly) acquired.”

Although Odlin himself admitted that the “working definition” is somewhat vague, it provides an adequate basis for further research. And this thesis discusses the negative effects of L1 transfer on lexical collocation and syntax in English majors’ speaking.

When L1 transfer is regarded as product, it can be classified into two categories: positive transfer and negative transfer. Positive transfer is the positive influence of L1 on L2 caused by the similarities between them, while negative transfer is the negative influence caused by the differences. Lado (1957) points out that the similarities between L1 and L2 will make L2 learning easier while the differences will cause difficulties and even lead to errors, and teachers can predict the errors in L2 learning by comparing L1 and L2. Behaviorists hold that the former habits of L1 can both facilitate and interfere with L2 learning.

According to Odlin (1989: 26), positive transfer is the facilitating influence of the similarities between the native and target languages. He suggests that the effects of positive transfer can only be determined by comparing the success of groups with different native languages, and such comparisons indicate that cross-linguistic similarities can produce positive transfer in many ways (Odlin 1989: 36).

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