Which term describes the influence of a learner's first language knowledge on the second language?

Which term describes the influence of a learner's first language knowledge on the second language?

• A. Transfer
• B. Interference
• C. Fossilization
• D. Interlanguage

Answer: (A)

In second language learning, learners bring their first language knowledge into use with the new language. That overall influence is called transfer. It describes how features from the L1 appear in L2 production, and it can help if the languages share similarities or hinder when they don’t. Sometimes people talk about negative transfer or interference to emphasize the frustrating side, but transfer is the broader term that covers both positive and negative effects. The other terms don’t capture the notion as precisely: interference focuses on negative impact, fossilization is about persistent errors that stop changing, and interlanguage refers to the learner’s developing mixed system rather than the influence from the L1 itself.

In second language learning, learners bring their first language knowledge into use with the new language. That overall influence is called transfer. It describes how features from the L1 appear in L2 production, and it can help if the languages share similarities or hinder when they don’t. Sometimes people talk about negative transfer or interference to emphasize the frustrating side, but transfer is the broader term that covers both positive and negative effects. The other terms don’t capture the notion as precisely: interference focuses on negative impact, fossilization is about persistent errors that stop changing, and interlanguage refers to the learner’s developing mixed system rather than the influence from the L1 itself.