Abstract: With the development of globalization, English has become a useful tool to communicate with throughout the world. In the area of second language acquisition, the negative transfer of mother tongue is attracting more and more Chinese college students’ attention. This paper, based on the theory of negative transfer of mother tongue, aims to illustrate and explore negative transfer of mother tongue to non-English majors’ oral English from the angles of phonetics, lexicon, syntax and culture. Besides, the present paper analyses some possible reasons with some typical examples for the negative transfer of the mother tongue to non-English majors' oral English, and puts forward some corresponding strategies expounded by college teachers to help non-English majors avoid negative transfer of Chinese to their oral English, enhance their understanding and command of English and then improve their oral English both in fluency and accuracy in the long run.

Key words: oral English; mother tongue; negative transfer; non-English majors

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction1

2. Negative Transfer.2

  2.1 Definition 

2.2 Classification

3. Influence of Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue to Non-English Majors’ Oral English2

  3.1 Phonetics

3.2 Lexicon

3.3 Syntax

3.4 Culture

4. Reasons for Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue to Non-English Majors’ Oral English6

  4.1 Different Social Context

  4.2 Different Culture

  4.3 Different Thinking Mode

  4.4 Different Educational Background

5. Strategies to Avoid Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue to Non-English Majors’ Oral English.8

  5.1 Encouraging Non-English Majors to Adjust to English Thinking Mode

  5.2 Developing Non-English Majors’ English Intuition

  5.3 Emphasizing Phonetic Guidance to Non-English Majors

  5.4 Increasing Non-English Majors’ Cultural Difference Awareness

6. Conclusion10            

Bibliography.11

Acknowledgements12