A Contrastive Analysis Of Syntactic Transfer In College English Writing

As for the Language Acquisition, language transfer is commonly listed on the top of influential factors. However, many relevant researches on language transfer at home and abroad has been attached great importance to theoretical analysis of language transfer or the influence of Mother Tongue (M.T.) to Second Language Acquisition (SLA), merely a few of researches are targeted to syntactic transfer. Moreover, in these limited studies, the analysis and discussion of syntactic transfer in Chinese college students' writing is hardly dealt with in details.This research aims to explore the syntactic transfer reflected in Chinese college students' English writing, which involves the subjects from 90 non-English major sophomores in Beijing Forestry University. Quantitative method together with qualitative method is adopted in analyzing the data gathered from the subjects' English composition samples, questionnaires and individual interview. Based on the theoretical framework of transfer theories, such as markedness, prototypicality and psychotypology, three hypotheses are proposed concerning syntactic transfer in college students' English writing. Such issues are investigated as to the five main syntactic errors in students' English writings, their appearing frequencies and causes, and the relationship is analyzed between syntactic transfer and English proficiency level.The research findings correspond with the research hypotheses. It has been tested that syntactic transfer in students' writing mainly exists in the following five aspects:run-on sentences, omission of subject, subject-predicate non-agreement, wrong expression of the passive sentences, and wrong expression of the existential function. The study also shows the main causes of the above mentioned syntactic transfer, they are:(1) the different thinking patterns; (2) the lack of comprehensible input; (3) lack of comparison and contrast between Chinese and English. And syntactic transfer is significantly correlated with English proficiency level.This study provides valid and reliable data for studying college English writing teaching and learning; it is useful in helping us realize a complete picture of English writing ability, aiding students reduce the negative effects of syntactic transfer on their English writing and improving the English writing ability of Chinese college students. Meanwhile it also provides teachers with an opportunity to reflect on their teaching ways comprehensively. So it is advisable for college English writing teaching and researching.