Negative Transfer of Native Language in Chinese College Students’ Use of Adversative Conjunctions in English Writing _英语论文

摘要

语言迁移对英语写作的各个层面既有积极影响又有消极影响，包括文章衔接与连贯方面的影响。转折连词的使用是有效实现英语文章衔接与连贯的重要手段。然而，中国学生在使用转折连词时很可能会受到母语负迁移的干扰。

基于《中国大学生英语口笔语语料库2.0》，本文探究中国大学生英语写作中转折连词使用的母语负迁移现象。研究结果表明，中国大学生在英语写作中往往会过度使用、过少使用以及误用某些转折连词。这些现象有可能是母语负迁移造成的。过少使用某些他们不熟悉的转折连词可能是一种回避现象，而这一现象又会反过来导致他们滥用其他转折连词。此外，中国大学生会将汉语常用表达直译成英文以及误解英文的转折连词和转折关系，导致转折连词使用不当。

本文最后提出相关的教学建议，以帮助学生在使用转折连词时规避母语负迁移的影响，并学会灵活使用多种转折连词。

关键词：负迁移  转折连词  英语写作  中国大学生

Abstract

Language transfer has both positive and negative effect on every aspect of English writing, including cohesion and coherence. The use of adversative conjunctions can be an effective strategy for achieving cohesion and coherence in English writing. Chinese students may be susceptible to negative transfer of Chinese while using adversative conjunctions.

Based on Spoken and Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners 2.0 (SWECCL 2.0), this study explores the influence of negative transfer on the use of adversative conjunctions in Chinese college students’ English writing. The results show that Chinese students overuse, underuse and misuse certain adversative conjunctions in their English articles, which might be generated by negative transfer. The underuse of some adversative conjunctions they are unfamiliar with might be an avoidance, which in turn leads to the overuse of other adversative conjunctions. Moreover, Chinese students tend to translate literally the Chinese common expressions into English and misinterpret English adversative conjunctions and adversative relations, thus using adversative conjunctions inappropriately. 

By pointing out pertinent pedagogical implications, this thesis is expected to help students avert transfer errors while using adversative conjunctions and learn to use diverse adversative conjunctions flexibly.

Key words: negative transfer  adversative conjunctions  English writing Chinese college students

Contents

Chapter One  Introduction 1

1.1  Research Background 1

1.2  Research Purpose 2

1.3  Research Methodology 2

1.4  Thesis Organization 2

Chapter Two  Literature Review 4  

2.1  Foreign Studies on Negative Transfer in English Writing 4

2.2  Domestic Studies on Negative Transfer in English Writing 5

2.3  Foreign Studies on the Learning of Adversative Conjunctions 6

2.4  Domestic Studies on the Learning of Adversative Conjunctions 7

Chapter Three  Theoretical Framework 9

3.1  Overview of Language Transfer 9

3.1.1 Definitions of Language Transfer 9

3.1.2 Types of Language Transfer 10

3.2  Overview of Adversative Conjunctions 11

3.2.1 Definitions of Adversative Conjunctions 11

3.2.2 Functions of Adversative Conjunctions 11

3.2.3 Comparisons of Chinese and English Adversative Conjunctions 12

Chapter Four  Research Design 14

4.1  Research Questions 14

4.2  Instruments 14

4.2.1 SWECCL 2.0 14

4.2.2 BROWN CORPUS 15

4.2.3 AntConc 3.5.8 16

4.3  Procedures 16

Chapter Five  Results and Discussion 18

5.1  Chinese College Students’ Use of Adversative Conjunctions in English  Writing 18

5.1.1 The Overused and Underused Adversative Conjunctions 19

5.1.2 The Misused Adversative Conjunctions 22

5.2  Effects of Negative Transfer 26

Chapter Six  Conclusion 29

6.1  Findings 29

6.2  Implications 29

6.3  Limitations 30

Bibliography

Acknowledgements