The Perspectives of Turkish EFL Learners on the Differences and Similarities between Turkish (L1) and English (L2) Languages

Authors : Nayef JOMAA

Pages : 148-160

Doi:10.35207/later.1011507

View : 13 | Download : 7

Publication Date : 2021-12-25

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Pedagogically, the issue of similarities and/or differences between the mother tongue and the foreign language is one of the interesting areas of second/foreign language acquisition and learning. Therefore, this study aims at exploring in which way the Turkish language insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(L1); influences the English language insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(L2); learning through the perspectives of EFL undergraduate Turkish students, whereby the main focus is on the extent of the possible effects of the Turkish language insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(L1); on English learning insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(L2);. A qualitative approach was employed, including 15 male and female students from Karabuk University studying in the first year of the English Department whose mother tongue is Turkish. The majority of the findings showed negative transfer from L1 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Turkish); to L2 insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(English);, including pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and thinking in the mother tongue insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Turkish);, whereas the positive aspects involved only two aspects, namely similar alphabets, and vocabulary insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(cognates);. These findings can be employed pedagogically for second language learning/acquisition through enhancing the positive aspects and overcoming the negative ones.
Keywords : Language transfer, L1 interference, L1