Abstract：Learning a foreign language must be influenced by mother tongue. Some of the effects are positive, i.e. positive transfer, but some are negative, i.e. negative transfer. The paper discusses mother tongue influence on the learning of a foreign language in the aspect of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, syntax through the comparison between mother tongue and foreign language and points out how teachers can make use of positive transfer and avoid negative transfer in English teaching.

Key words：Mother tongue  Positive transfer  Negative transfer  English teaching

Contents

Abstract

摘要

Introduction1

1The history of the study on mother tongue influence.2

2The analysis of mother tongue 's positive transfer on learning a foreign language.3

2.1 The positive transfer of pronunciation.3

2.2 The positive transfer of phrases and expressions.3

2.3 The positive transfer of syntax.3

3The analysis of mother tongue 's negative transfer on learning a foreign language.4

3.1 The negative transfer of pronunciation4

  3.1.1 The inaccurate pronunciation of diphthong4

  3.1.2Weakly master on intonation and stress.5

  3.1.3Adding the sound at the end of the word5

  3.1.4Inaccurate pronunciation of [θ] [ð]6

3.2 The negative transfer of vocabulary.6

  3.2.1The conceptual meaning of words6

  3.2.2The connotative meaning of words7

  3.2.3The collocative meaning of words.8

3.3The negative transfer of grammar.9

  3.3.1Different forms of singular and plural of nouns.4

  3.3.2The case of pronouns and nouns5

  3.3.3The article.5

  3.3.4Different forms of verbs.11

  3.3.5The negative transfer of syntax13 

4 The suggestion for English teaching.17

Conclusion18

Bibliography.19

Acknowledgment.20