Transfer and Interference of Native Language in Foreign Language Learning

Contrastive analysis shows that foreign language acquisition is mainly a procedure of transfer from the use of native language to the use of foreign language. When the grammatical structure of mother tongue is different from that of foreign language, it will lead to a negative transfer. In contrast, when the grammatical structure of mother tongue is similar to that of foreign language, it will lead to a positive transfer. The purpose of foreign language teaching is to promote positive transfer and avoid negative transfer. On the basis of this rule, foreign language teachers should help learners form a good habit in foreign language learning. Therefore, it is necessary for teachers who major in foreign language teaching to inculcate the importance and influence into students in the process of teaching and studying. This thesis mainly makes an analysis of the importance and influence of mother tongue in foreign language learning.