Mastering Internal Factors in Second Language Acquisition

Language Influence Factors

• The influence of a learner's L1 (first language) over the acquisition of L2 (second language) is referred to as language transfer.
• Facilitating influence of L1 on L2 acquisition is termed positive transfer.
• An example of negative transfer occurs when L1 structures or rules incorrectly influence L2 use, leading to errors.

Learner Groups and Error Frequency

• Learners whose L1 shares similarities with L2 are less likely to make errors in relative clauses, benefiting from positive transfer.
• Learners from L1 backgrounds that are significantly different from English are more likely to make relative clause errors, experiencing negative transfer.

Negative and Positive Transfer

• Negative transfer refers specifically to L1 influences that hinder L2 acquisition, causing confusion or errors in language use.
• Positive transfer enhances L2 acquisition by utilizing familiar structures or vocabulary from L1.

Test your knowledge of internal factors in second language acquisition (SLA) with this quiz. Explore topics such as language transfer, cognitive accounts, and linguistic universals. Challenge yourself and see how well you understand the impact of these factors on language learning.