First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners

Language transfer has an immense influence on all subsystems of the second language. Traditionally, the concept of language transfer was viewed as the effect of first language on the acquisition of the second language. Language transfer can be categorized into two types; negative transfer which stem...

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Main Author:	Yazan Shaker Okla Almahammed
Format:	Thesis
Language:	en_US
Subjects:	English language > Study and teaching > Foreign speaker Language transfer (Language learning)
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spelling	my-usim-ddms-128522024-05-29T05:00:44Z First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners Yazan Shaker Okla Almahammed Language transfer has an immense influence on all subsystems of the second language. Traditionally, the concept of language transfer was viewed as the effect of first language on the acquisition of the second language. Language transfer can be categorized into two types; negative transfer which stems from differences between first language and target language and positive transfer which results from similarities between two languages in contrast. This study aimed primarily at investigating negative Arabic transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners. English prepositions constitute a learning problem for Jordanian EFL learners. Fill-in-the-blank test, grammaticality judgment and correction task and cloze test were used to collect data. A total of 355 Jordanian EFL learners at bachelor degree level participated in this quantitative study. The respondents were selected from ten universities in Jordan via cluster random sampling procedures. The study revealed the following main findings; negative Arabic transfer affected the acquisition of English prepositions. About 35.2% of prepositional errors resulted from negative Arabic transfer. The acquisition of English prepositions was influenced noticeably by intralingual interference. It was found that 64.8% of prepositional errors were ascribed to intralingual interference. The results also revealed that preposition combinations was the most difficult usage of English prepositions for Jordanian EFL learners. The proportion of errors in the use of preposition combinations was 65.2%. With reference to the use of pied-piping and preposition stranding in interrogatives, the analysis displayed that the respondents showed no preference of pied piping over preposition stranding and vice versa. The results of the study supported the moderate position, which holds that both language transfer and intralingual interference interact in shaping the acquisition of English prepositions. The study has some implications for textbook authors and the teaching of English prepositions to EFL learners. Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia 2016-06 Thesis en_US https://oarep.usim.edu.my/handle/123456789/12852 https://oarep.usim.edu.my/bitstreams/52de897f-d440-43d8-88b0-4e3e7b5736b4/download 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 English language--Study and teaching--Foreign speaker Language transfer (Language learning)
institution	Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
collection	USIM Institutional Repository
language	en_US
topic	English language--Study and teaching--Foreign speaker Language transfer (Language learning)
spellingShingle	English language--Study and teaching--Foreign speaker Language transfer (Language learning) Yazan Shaker Okla Almahammed First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners
description	Language transfer has an immense influence on all subsystems of the second language. Traditionally, the concept of language transfer was viewed as the effect of first language on the acquisition of the second language. Language transfer can be categorized into two types; negative transfer which stems from differences between first language and target language and positive transfer which results from similarities between two languages in contrast. This study aimed primarily at investigating negative Arabic transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners. English prepositions constitute a learning problem for Jordanian EFL learners. Fill-in-the-blank test, grammaticality judgment and correction task and cloze test were used to collect data. A total of 355 Jordanian EFL learners at bachelor degree level participated in this quantitative study. The respondents were selected from ten universities in Jordan via cluster random sampling procedures. The study revealed the following main findings; negative Arabic transfer affected the acquisition of English prepositions. About 35.2% of prepositional errors resulted from negative Arabic transfer. The acquisition of English prepositions was influenced noticeably by intralingual interference. It was found that 64.8% of prepositional errors were ascribed to intralingual interference. The results also revealed that preposition combinations was the most difficult usage of English prepositions for Jordanian EFL learners. The proportion of errors in the use of preposition combinations was 65.2%. With reference to the use of pied-piping and preposition stranding in interrogatives, the analysis displayed that the respondents showed no preference of pied piping over preposition stranding and vice versa. The results of the study supported the moderate position, which holds that both language transfer and intralingual interference interact in shaping the acquisition of English prepositions. The study has some implications for textbook authors and the teaching of English prepositions to EFL learners.
format	Thesis
author	Yazan Shaker Okla Almahammed
author_facet	Yazan Shaker Okla Almahammed
author_sort	Yazan Shaker Okla Almahammed
title	First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners
title_short	First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners
title_full	First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners
title_fullStr	First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners
title_full_unstemmed	First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners
title_sort	first language transfer in the acquisition of english prepositions by jordanian efl learners
granting_institution	Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
_version_	1812444885688516608

First language transfer in the acquisition of English prepositions by Jordanian EFL learners

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