Articles

Developments of Language Transfer Studies during the Past 30 Years

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Online published: 2022-06-07

Abstract

Undergoing briefly four phases, language transfer research (LTR) has experienced unprecedented development since 30 years ago. Many important empirical discoveries and theoretical advances have been springing up in recent years, which are aimed to reveal how languages interact with each other in the brain and to explore the factors that influence language transfer in the complex, dynamic and systematic way. Standing in the frontier of LTR, the generative approach focuses on L1 transfer in relation to syntax. Contrastively, conceptual transfer approach, closely connected with linguistic relativity and neo-Whorfianism, is mainly concerned with how L1 concepts are transferred to L2 discourse. Language transfer could be better explained with the Complex Dynamic Systems Theory and the potentially concept-based multicompetence model. And relative studies should encompass linguistic and non-linguistic factors, compare languages horizontally and/or longitudinally, and describe and explicate transfer by interdisciplinary and multi-perspective ways.

Cite this article

GAI Feihong . Developments of Language Transfer Studies during the Past 30 Years[J]. Contemporary Foreign Languages Studies, 2022 , 22(3) : 113 -121 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8921.2022.03.013

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