Language Transfer: Cross-linguistic Influence In Language Learning

The author shows how similarities and differences between languages can influence grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation acquisition. In the paperback edition, Terence Odlin reconsiders a question that many language teachers and educational researchers have addressed: How much influence can a learner's native language have in making the acquisition of a new language easy or difficult? Transfer has long been a controversial issue, but many recent studies support the view that cross-linguistic influences can have an important impact on second language acquisition. Odlin analyzes and interprets research showing many ways in which similarities and differences between languages can influence the acquisition of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. In addition, he provides a detailed look at work on other areas important for the study of transfer, including discourse, individual variation, and sociolinguistic factors. Language teachers, applied linguists, and educational researchers will find this volume highly accessible and extremely valuable to their work.