Abstract:Language Transfer Theory, or, the early behaviourism dating back to 1940s and 1950s, is regarded as an important guidance in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. Lado (1957:61) argues forcefully that learners usually transfer structure, meaning and word order of their native languages to the target languages. Ellis (2000:29) states that transfer refers to the influence that the learners’ Native Language exerts over the acquisition of Second Language. Odlin (2001:95) holds that transfer is the influence resulting from similarities and differences between the target language and any other language that has been previously (and perhaps imperfectly) acquired. Language Transfer is a universal phenomenon in English learning. Chinese students are usually affected by their native language when they study English. According to the effect of language transfer, language transfer can be classified into positive transfer and negative transfer. Positive transfer refers to the phenomenon that the learning and experience of a previous language facilitates the learning of another language while negative transfer is defined as the phenomenon that the learning and experience of a previous language interferes with the learning of another language. The present study intends to analyze the phenomena of language transfer existing in English vocabulary and grammar learning, and tries to apply language transfer theory to English teaching so as to improve English teaching and help students’ with English learning.  

Key words: Language Transfer; Negative Transfer; Positive Transfer; Vocabulary; Grammar

摘 要:迁移理论起源于二十世纪四五十年代，即早期行为主义时期，被认为是指导语言教与学的重要理论。Lado (1957:61) 指出学习者通常会将母语的语言结构和词汇迁移到目标语中，Rod Ellis (2000:21) 认为迁移是学习者的第一语言对第二语言习得的影响；Odlin (2001:95) 定义迁移是先前所习得（也许是不完美的）由目标语和其它第二语言之间的相似及差异产生的影响。语言迁移是英语学习中普遍存在的一种现象。中国学生在学习英语时，会受到母语的影响。根据其影响结果分类，迁移可以分为正迁移和负迁移。先前学习促进后来的学习属正迁移，先前学习妨碍后来的学习属负迁移。本文分析英语词汇和语法学习中语言迁移的现象，并试图探索如何有效地把语言迁移理论引入到英语教学中，以改善英语教学，进而帮助学生提高英语学习能力。

关键词：语言迁移；负迁移；正迁移；词汇；语法