Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis: Does the Positive Transfer in Writing Skill Occur in Lower Level Students?

<p><strong>Abstract:</strong> Language transfer always becomes an interesting topic to discuss in SLA. From the two types of language transfer take place in the process of language learning, this research aims to investigate the positive transfer occurs in junior high school students’ writing skill. The two languages to be involved in this research, Indonesian as L1 and English as L2. The analysis of the positive transfer within writing skill in this research is carried out under the theory of ‘Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis’ proposed by Cummins. Correlational research design is employed to analyze the correlation between the students’ L1 (Indonesian) writing ability and L2 (English) writing ability. The analysis result shows that the positive transfer in students’ writing does not exist. This happens due to the lack of exposure that the students have in practicing L2 (English) writing.</p><strong>Abstrak:<em> </em></strong>Transfer bahasa selalu menjadi topik yang menarik untuk dibicarakan dalam pemerolehan bahasa kedua. Dari dua jenis transfer bahasa yang terjadi dalam proses pembelajaran bahasa. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menginvestigasi transfer positif yang terjadi dalam keterampilan menulis siswa SMP. Ada dua bahasa yang dilibatkan dalam penelitian ini, yaitu bahasa bahasa Indonesia dan bahasa Inggris. Analisis transfer positif dalam keterampilan menulis pada penelitian ini mengacu pada teori ‘<em>Linguistic Interdependence Hypothesis</em>’ yang digagas oleh Cummins. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode korelasional untuk menganalisis korelasi kemampuan menulis siswa dalam bahasa Indonesia dan bahasa Inggris. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa tidak ada transfer positif yang terjadi dalam tulisan siswa. Hal ini terjadi karena kurangnya pajanan yang diterima siswa untuk mengasah keterampilan menulis dalam bahasa Inggris.

Pragmatic Transfer in the Speech Act of Compliment among Chinese EFL Learners

This article reviews the notions of transfer and its subcategories of positive transfer as well as negative transfer. This article also considers the research on pragmatic transfer in the speech act of compliment in first language as well as second and foreign language contexts. In addition, it further explores three research questions concerning pragmatic transfer in compliment among Chinese EFL (English as a foreign language) learners.

Voluntary redistribution mechanism in asymmetric coordination games

An inequality game is an asymmetric 2 × 2 coordination game in which player 1 earns a substantially higher payoff than player 2 except in the inefficient Nash equilibrium (NE). The two players may have either common or conflicting interests over the two NE. This paper studies a redistribution scheme which allows the players to voluntarily transfer their payoffs after the play of an inequality game. We find that the redistribution scheme induces positive transfer from player 1 to player 2 in both common- and conflicting- interest games, and is particularly effective in increasing efficient coordination and reducing coordination failures in conflicting-interest games. We explain these findings by considering reciprocity by player 1 in response to the sacrifice made by player 2 in achieving efficient coordination in conflicting-interest games.

Thai tonal confusion patterns in the production of L1 Chinese Zhuang students

This paper examines Thai tonal confusion patterns in two sample groups of Chinese Zhuang Students with the research hypothesis that the experimental group who possess Zhuang language experience as native speakers (C+Z) would have better tonal performance in the process of assigning tone for each lexical word than the control group who have no experience of Zhuang (C−Z). The hypothesis focuses on the C+Z′ familiarity of tone split which is a common feature of the tonal system in Tai languages as their L1 positive transfer. The tone split patterns of their L1 and L2 were explored and contrasted in the comparative Gedney’s tone box. The C+Z and the C−Z were asked to pronounce 60 words of two wordlists, one of which contained Zhuang-Thai cognates to stimulate the familiarity of their L1 tone split pattern. The findings show that Thai tonal confusion patterns in the two groups present differently. The accuracy rate of the C+Z is significantly higher than that of the C−Z overall and especially in T3 and T5. Their confusion rate on the Zhuang-Thai cognate wordlist was not higher than the non-cognate wordlist. All of the aforementioned indicates the positive transfer of the L1 Zhuang in the students’ Thai L2 tonal acquisition.

Using Modified Equipment in Field Hockey Leads to Positive Transfer of Learning Effect

Cross-education is the phenomenon in which repeated practice of a unilateral motor task does not only result in performance improvement of the trained limb, but also in the untrained contralateral limb. The aim of this study was to test whether cross-education or positive transfer of learning is also achieved for tasks in which both limbs contribute in different ways by using modified equipment that switches the limbs’ role. To this end, a reverse field hockey stick was used that requires a mirroring of arm and hand use and dominance (i.e., right hand on top of the hockey stick instead of the left hand). Two groups of young skilled female field hockey players participated in a crossover-design, in which participants received four training sessions with a reverse hockey stick followed by four training sessions with a regular hockey stick, or vice versa. In a pre-test, intermediate test (following the first intervention period), a post-test (after the second intervention period) and a retention test, participants’ performance on a field hockey skill test with a regular hockey stick was measured. The results revealed that training with the reversed hockey stick led to significantly increased improvements compared to training with a regular hockey stick. We conclude that modified equipment can be used to exploit positive transfer of learning by switching the limbs’ roles. The findings are discussed by referring to the symmetry preservation principle in dynamic systems theory and have clear practical relevance for field hockey trainers and players seeking to further improve field hockey skills.

SECOND FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: THE INFLUENCE OF STUDENTS’ FIRST FOREIGN LANGUAGE ON LEXICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN ENGLISH FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES

"Globalization and intercultural communication are stepping up the demands for modern specialists’ linguistic competencies. To provide successful professional communication, competitiveness and mobility, the graduates of higher education are to master two or more foreign languages. In this regard, it seems important to study the features of multilingual education, identify the difficulties that arise in multilingual teaching and outline the ways to overcome them. Although, there is a number of studies devoted to the impact of the native language on foreign language acquisition, the issue of learners’ first and second foreign language interaction seems to be inadequately treated and there is a lack of research on factors that increase learners’ second foreign language proficiency in three-language contact (i.e., their native, first and second foreign language). In particular, little attention is paid to cross-linguistic skills transfer or to lexical interference patterns that arise among students mastering their second foreign language. This paper is devoted to lexical interference that occurs when English for Special Purposes (ESP) is taught as the second foreign language to university students studying French or Spanish as their first foreign language. The purpose of the work is to identify which language(-s) are the source of interference through analyzing students’ errors. The hypotheses of the study are as follows: in case of receptive activity (reading) the language which is closely related to the target language will serve as the source of positive transfer. In productive activity (writing and speaking) lexical interference will arise and play a significant role. The source of interference will be learners’ first foreign language. To test the hypotheses, a pilot study was conducted, during which typical lexical errors of Russian-speaking students studying ESP as their second foreign language and French or Spanish as their first foreign language were identified. The control group were students with native Russian language and English as their first foreign language. The research methodology included questionnaires, testing and interviews. The research participants were RUDN University students. The results of the study confirm the presence of positive transfer and lexical interference in ESP terminology acquisition, the source of which is learners’ first foreign language. Learners’ typical mistakes are associated with the use of articles, prepositions, adjective order, fully and partially assimilated cognates, depend on their language experience and are due to their first foreign language interference"

Transfer in related Slavic languages

In the field of teaching Polish as a foreign language, transfer plays a major role. Positive transfer helps the users of closely related Slavic languages learn more quickly, while negative transfer should be closely monitored. Intercomprehension is a phenomenon which consists of guessing the meanings of related words and linguistic forms, and the ability to quickly understand languages which are closely related to the mother tongue of learners; in other words, it is a case of positive transfer. Intercomprehension in teaching related languages is directly associated with the phenomenon of language transfer. In the practice of teaching Polish as a non-native language in Slovakia and Czechia, teaching methods related to intercomprehension, including a contrast-based approach, have been applied for a long time. However, more focus has always been placed on negative transfer. In this article we provide examples of the impact of transfer, usually negative, at several linguistic planes in learning Polish by Slovaks and Slovak by Poles. The first author indicates two planes, those of inflection and syntax, using examples from the works of Polish students; the second author discusses the problems associated with lexis and indicates three planes: those of word formation, lexis, and style. Their discussions indicate that similarities help master a language more quickly and how important highlighting the differences for learners is.

Development of physical qualities of senior school age boys by means of combat sports

The study obtained objective data on the positive influence of the use of boxing and fencing elements on the strength qualities development of young men of senior school age as a means of physical education. The factors that affect the manifestation of strength and speed qualities of young men are determined, the correlation between their indicators in general and special preparatory exercises is revealed. A positive transfer of physical qualities among young men was established when performing special preparatory exercises to general preparatory exercises.

Impact of L2 Orthography on Reading Accuracy of L1: An Evidence from the Children of Grade 3

The present research focused on investigating the impact of increased exposure to second language orthography (English), through adopting it as a medium of instruction, on reading accuracy in L1. This was expected that increased exposure to L2 might support L1 reading accuracy. The sample of the study was 8-9 years old grade, 3 children. The children were selected from Private sector Urdu, and English medium schools located in an underdeveloped district of Punjab, Pakistan. Although the students were highly exposed to Urdu orthography, yet it could not have the advantage to get better reading accuracy in Urdu. Meanwhile, the children at English medium schools scored much higher in reading accuracy in Urdu. This better performance by the children from English medium schools might be a positive transfer of reading skills in a second language to reading skills in the first language.