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【Abstract】The influence of negative transfer of mother language on the English writing has already been the focus of the study. Furthermore, different experts and scholars hold different views on it. The paper aims at analyzing how the negative transfer of mother language affects the English writing. As a whole, the essay embraces three parts as follows. The first part expounds the transfer of mother language. The second part concentrates on three levels that are vocabulary level, syntax level and discourse level.The third part explores how to reduce the influence of negative transfer of mother language. What is more, the thesis gives some proper suggestions to improve their ability of writing rather than being trapped in the Chinese negative transfer.
【Key words】mother tongue; negative transfer; English writing
1. The Transfer of Mother Language on the English Writing
1.1 The Definition of the Transfer of Mother Tongue
According to the psychological view of language, the language transfer refers to the fact that one language influences another one. As a matter of fact, the language transfer was studied dating back to the 20th century 50s. Different linguists flesh out their different perspectives on the definition of it.Among these views of transfer of mother language, the linguists have a general consensus that the proceeding language acquisition has some similarities and differences between the target language. The former indicates that the mother transfer will facilitate the learning of the Chinese; on the contrary, the latter are possible to impede the progress of language learning.
1.2 The Negative Transfer of Chinese Vocabulary
As far as the verbs are concerned, to some extent, the usage of Chinese verbs and English verbs are not equivalent to each other. Especially, as for the English beginners, they are more likely to be confused while utilizing the forms of English verbs to finish the English writing.
1.2.1 The Negative Transfer of Chinese Verb
As we all know, some Chinese verbs are transitive verbs, by contrast, the counterparts in English are intransitive ones, or vice versa. As the case in point is that“I agree you” For most Chinese learners are prone to write it because of the influence of mother tongue. However, with regard to English verbs, the word “agree” is an intransitive verb which should be collocated with the preposition “with”. Not surprisingly, there are suffused with English intransitive verbs that need being attached to certain prepositions. Otherwise, the sentences you have written will be regarded as the violation of the grammar rules.Therefore, in order not to make the mistake, we are supposed to decrease the influence of mother language, and have a better mastery of the categories of the verbs. 1.2.2 The Negative Transfer of the Usage of Chinese Conjunctions
With regard to the usage of some Chinese conjunctions, many learners are inclined to make mistakes while writing the English compositions.However, it is these English conjunctions that play a critical role in bridging the words, phrases and the clauses or even the text. Admittedly, the most urgent thing for the Chinese learners is to be adept at putting them into practice in English writing.
Considering some examples, we are capable to see that the pairs of conjunctions,such as “although” and “but”, “because” and “so”. As the obvious example shows, “Though he is young,but he lacks the energy.” According to it, it is evident that the logical expression should be “Though he is young, he lacks the energy.” Most of the Chinese learners like putting them together in the same sentence, without recognizing the distinct differences between the Chinese conjunctions and the English ones.
In conclusion, faced with the usage of conjunctions, we should muse on difference between Chinese and English to avoid making unnecessary mistakes.
1.3 The Negative Transfer of the Chinese Typical Sentence Patterns
It is well worth meditating on the negative transfer of the Chinese typical syntax. Most importantly, it is common that English word order usually puts the adverbial modifiers into the end of the sentences,namely, the subjects plus verbs and the other segments. However, Chinese word order often places the adverbial modifiers into the front of the nouns. Hence, it is necessary to master their differences.
1.3.1 The Upside Down Word Order between Chinese and English
While writing English compositions, the Chinese learners are much more likely to reverse the word order which will make the composition disorderly and ambiguity. There are some enough evidences proving the distinction sufficiently between English word order and Chinese ones, such as She stayed at home as she had no car.(她因没有汽车而留在家) From the example above, it is clear that the word order between English and Chinese are in differences. If we do not distinguish them and only adhere to the rules respectively, we would write some rigid articles permeating the style of Chinglish.
1.3.2 The Negative Transfer of Chinese Negative Syntax
Concerning negative syntax between Chinese and English, a number of the learners are baffled by them. In the process of English writing, it is common that they make some errors correlating with typical English negative sentences. At the same time, when we make further study about the real reasons, we finally figure out that Chinese negative syntax mainly serves as the obstacles, which entices the learners into making some mistakes during English writing. As the example exhibits,“所有的數据不都对” in Chinese is often construed as“All the statistics are not right” . Because the learners do not have a better command of the total English negative words, such as none, nobody, nothing and the like.Ultimately, as the analysis above, only when the learners make attempt to reduce the mother negative transfer, can they improve their English writing ability.
【Key words】mother tongue; negative transfer; English writing
1. The Transfer of Mother Language on the English Writing
1.1 The Definition of the Transfer of Mother Tongue
According to the psychological view of language, the language transfer refers to the fact that one language influences another one. As a matter of fact, the language transfer was studied dating back to the 20th century 50s. Different linguists flesh out their different perspectives on the definition of it.Among these views of transfer of mother language, the linguists have a general consensus that the proceeding language acquisition has some similarities and differences between the target language. The former indicates that the mother transfer will facilitate the learning of the Chinese; on the contrary, the latter are possible to impede the progress of language learning.
1.2 The Negative Transfer of Chinese Vocabulary
As far as the verbs are concerned, to some extent, the usage of Chinese verbs and English verbs are not equivalent to each other. Especially, as for the English beginners, they are more likely to be confused while utilizing the forms of English verbs to finish the English writing.
1.2.1 The Negative Transfer of Chinese Verb
As we all know, some Chinese verbs are transitive verbs, by contrast, the counterparts in English are intransitive ones, or vice versa. As the case in point is that“I agree you” For most Chinese learners are prone to write it because of the influence of mother tongue. However, with regard to English verbs, the word “agree” is an intransitive verb which should be collocated with the preposition “with”. Not surprisingly, there are suffused with English intransitive verbs that need being attached to certain prepositions. Otherwise, the sentences you have written will be regarded as the violation of the grammar rules.Therefore, in order not to make the mistake, we are supposed to decrease the influence of mother language, and have a better mastery of the categories of the verbs. 1.2.2 The Negative Transfer of the Usage of Chinese Conjunctions
With regard to the usage of some Chinese conjunctions, many learners are inclined to make mistakes while writing the English compositions.However, it is these English conjunctions that play a critical role in bridging the words, phrases and the clauses or even the text. Admittedly, the most urgent thing for the Chinese learners is to be adept at putting them into practice in English writing.
Considering some examples, we are capable to see that the pairs of conjunctions,such as “although” and “but”, “because” and “so”. As the obvious example shows, “Though he is young,but he lacks the energy.” According to it, it is evident that the logical expression should be “Though he is young, he lacks the energy.” Most of the Chinese learners like putting them together in the same sentence, without recognizing the distinct differences between the Chinese conjunctions and the English ones.
In conclusion, faced with the usage of conjunctions, we should muse on difference between Chinese and English to avoid making unnecessary mistakes.
1.3 The Negative Transfer of the Chinese Typical Sentence Patterns
It is well worth meditating on the negative transfer of the Chinese typical syntax. Most importantly, it is common that English word order usually puts the adverbial modifiers into the end of the sentences,namely, the subjects plus verbs and the other segments. However, Chinese word order often places the adverbial modifiers into the front of the nouns. Hence, it is necessary to master their differences.
1.3.1 The Upside Down Word Order between Chinese and English
While writing English compositions, the Chinese learners are much more likely to reverse the word order which will make the composition disorderly and ambiguity. There are some enough evidences proving the distinction sufficiently between English word order and Chinese ones, such as She stayed at home as she had no car.(她因没有汽车而留在家) From the example above, it is clear that the word order between English and Chinese are in differences. If we do not distinguish them and only adhere to the rules respectively, we would write some rigid articles permeating the style of Chinglish.
1.3.2 The Negative Transfer of Chinese Negative Syntax
Concerning negative syntax between Chinese and English, a number of the learners are baffled by them. In the process of English writing, it is common that they make some errors correlating with typical English negative sentences. At the same time, when we make further study about the real reasons, we finally figure out that Chinese negative syntax mainly serves as the obstacles, which entices the learners into making some mistakes during English writing. As the example exhibits,“所有的數据不都对” in Chinese is often construed as“All the statistics are not right” . Because the learners do not have a better command of the total English negative words, such as none, nobody, nothing and the like.Ultimately, as the analysis above, only when the learners make attempt to reduce the mother negative transfer, can they improve their English writing ability.