Cross-linguistic influence (CLI) and transfer of learning

1
Cross-linguistic influence (CLI) and transfer of
learning

• Mark Andrew James
• Arizona State University

It is natural to wonder about the relation
between language transfer i.e., CLI and
transfer of learning in other contexts. Odlin
2003 477
2
Overview

• CLI and learning transfer appear, on the surface,
  to be similar constructs.
• In research literature dealing with CLI, there
  are few constructive links to learning transfer
  research and theory.
• CLI research and theory might benefit from
  stronger connections to learning transfer
  research and theory.

3
Definitions

• CLI (or language transfer)
• the influence that knowledge of one language has
  on an individuals learning or use of another
  language (Gass Selinker 1992 Jarvis Pavlenko
  2008).
• Learning transfer
• the influence that prior learning has on
  subsequent learning or performance (Perkins
  Salomon 1994).

4
Links to learning transfer in CLI literature

• Evolution of CLI research from learning transfer
  research (e.g., Major 2008 Selinker 1969)
• Learning transfer theory as basis for teaching
  for CLI (Politzer 1965 Rivers 1964)
• Learning transfer theory (e.g., vertical vs.
  lateral) as relevant to CLI (Odlin 2003 Olivares
  2002)
• Definitions of learning transfer in discussions
  of CLI (Arabski 2006 Sajavaara 1986)
• Learning transfer research as relevant to
  ambiguity of the term transfer (Dechert 2006).

5
Factors that influence CLI and learning transfer

1. Perceptions of (cross-linguistic) similarity.
2. Language proficiency / knowledge base.
3. Motivation / disposition.
4. Interlocutor characteristics / socio-cultural
   context.
5. Automaticity / amount and type of practice.

6
Divergence of CLI research/theory from learning
transfer

• SLA scholars became uncomfortable drawing on
  learning transfer research/theory because of its
  association with behavioral psychology.
• It is exceedingly difficult to apply these
  findings to the foreign language learning
  situation because the experimental materials, the
  degrees of original learning, and other variables
  are quite different from those occurring in
  foreign language learning.
• Carroll, 1968, p.120

7
1. Is learning transfer research/theory
associated with behavioral psychology?

• While a behavioral psychology perspective was
  common in early research/theory on learning
  transfer, other perspectives have been taken
• gestalt psychology
• cognitive psychology
• socio-cultural psychology.

8
2. Are the behaviors studied in learning
transfer research unrelated to language?

• knowledge of vocabulary (Ganea et al 2008)
• knowledge of grammar (Ninio 2005)
• pronunciation (Nation et al 2001)
• listening perception (Peele Wingfield 2005)
• phonological awareness (Benson 2000)
• reading skills and strategies (Aulls 2003
  Compton et al 2005 Gromko 2004 Martin-Chang et
  al 2007 Williams et al 2005)
• writing skills and strategies (Aulls 2003
  Berninger et al 2006 Glaser Brunstein 2007
  James 2009).

9
3. Do CLI and learning transfer research differ
in terms of depth of learning?

• Current definitions of CLI tend to be broad and
  include not only the influence of a L1 on the
  learning/use of a L2, but also the influence of a
  L2 on the learning/use of a L3 (or L4, etc.), as
  well as the influence of a L2 on L1 use.
• this means the source of CLI may not be a
  deeply-learned L1 system it may instead be a
  less deeply-learned L2 system.

10
Implications

• Learning transfer research/theory may
• (a) help answer questions raised about CLI.
• How does an individual recognize crosslinguistic
  similarity?
• (b) point to questions potentially relevant to
  CLI.
• How might similarity in genre between texts used
  in L1 situations and texts used in L2 situations
  influence CLI?
• How might motivation influence CLI?
• How might sociocultural context influence CLI?

11
Conclusion

• There is a deep relationship between CLI and
  learning transfer.
• overlap can be seen conceptually and in
  existing research and theory.
• So, research/theory on CLI might benefit from
  connections to research/theory on learning
  transfer.

12
References (1 of 4)

• Arabski, Janusz (2006). Language transfer in
  language learning and language contact. In
  Cross-linguistic influences in the second
  language lexicon, Janusz Arabski (ed.), 12-21.
  Clevedon, UK Multilingual Matters.
• Aulls, Mark W. (2003). The influence of a reading
  and writing curriculum on transfer learning
  across subjects and grades. Reading Psychology,
  24 177-215.
• Benson, Nancy J. (2000). Analysis of specific
  deficits Evidence of transfer in disabled and
  normal readers following oral-motor awareness
  training. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92
  646-658.
• Berninger, Virginia W., Judith E. Rutberg, Robert
  D. Abbott, Noelia Garcia, Marci
  Anderson-Youngstrom, Allison Brooks, and Cynthia
  Fulton (2006). Tier 1 and tier 2 early
  intervention for handwriting and composing.
  Journal of School Psychology, 44 3-30.
• Carroll, John B. (1968). Contrastive analysis and
  interference theory. In Report of the nineteenth
  annual round table meeting on linguistics and
  language studies, James E. Alatis (ed.), 113-122.
  Washington, DC Georgetown University Press.
• Compton, Donald L., Natalie G. Olinghouse, Amy
  Elleman, Jan Vining, Amanda C. Appleton, Jennifer
  Vail, and Marci Summers (2005). Putting transfer
  back on trial Modeling individual differences in
  the transfer of decoding-skill gains to other
  aspects of reading acquisition. Journal of
  Educational Psychology, 97 55-69.

13
References (2 of 4)

• Dechert, Hans W. (2006). On the ambiguity of the
  notion transfer. In Cross-linguistic influences
  in the second language lexicon, Janusz Arabski
  (ed.), 3-11. Clevedon, UK Multilingual Matters.
  
• Ganea, Patricia A., Megan Bloom Pickard, and Judy
  S. DeLoache (2008). Transfer between picture
  books and the real world by very young children.
  Journal of Cognition and Development, 9 46-66.
• Gass, Susan M. and Larry Selinker (1992).
  Introduction. In Language transfer in language
  learning, Susan M. Gass and Larry Selinker
  (eds.), 1-17. Philadelphia, PA John Benjamins.
  
• Glaser, Cornelia and Joachim C. Brunstein (2007).
  Improving fourth-grade students composition
  skills Effects of strategy instruction and
  self-regulation procedures. Journal of
  Educational Psychology, 99 297-310.
• Gromko, Joyce E. (2004). Predictors of music
  sight-reading ability in high school wind
  players. Journal of Research in Music Education,
  52 6-15.
• Haskell, Robert E. (2001). Transfer of learning
  Cognition, instruction, and reasoning. San
  Diego, CA Academic Press, Incorporated.
• James, Mark A. (2009). Far transfer of
  learning outcomes from an ESL writing course Can
  the gap be bridged? Journal of Second Language
  Writing, 18 69-84.

14
References (3 of 4)

• Jarvis, Scott and Aneta Pavlenko. (2008).
  Crosslinguistic influence in language and
  cognition. New York, NY Routledge.
• Major, Roy C. (2008). Transfer in second
  language phonology A review. In Phonology and
  second language acquisition, Jette G. Hansen and
  M.L. Zampini (eds.), 63-94. Philadelphia, PA
  John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Martin-Chang, Sandra L., Betty A. Levy, and Sara
  ONeil (2007). Word acquisition, retention, and
  transfer Findings from contextual and isolated
  word training. Journal of Experimental Child
  Psychology, 96 37-56.
• Nation, Kate, Richard Allen, and Charles Hulme.
  (2001). The limitations of orthographic analogy
  in early reading development Performance on the
  clue-word task depends on phonological priming
  and elementary decoding skill, not the use of
  orthographic analogy. Journal of Experimental
  Child Psychology, 80 75-94.
• Ninio, Anat (2005). Testing the role of semantic
  similarity in syntactic development. Journal of
  Child Language, 32 35-61.
• Odlin, Terence (2003). Crosslinguistic influence.
  In The handbook of second language acquisition,
  Catherine.Doughty and Michael Long (eds.),
  436-486. Malden, MA Blackwell.
• Olivares, Rafael A. (2002). Communication,
  constructivism and transfer of knowledge in the
  education of bilingual learners. International
  Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism,
  5 4-19.

15
References (4 of 4)

• Peelle, Jonathan E. and Arthur Wingfield (2005).
  Dissociations in perceptual learning revealed by
  adult age differences in adaptation to
  time-compressed speech. Journal of Experimental
  Psychology Human Perception and Performance, 31
  1315-1330.
• Perkins, D.N., Salomon, G. (1994). Transfer of
  learning. In T. Husen T.N. Postlethwaite
  (Eds.), The international encyclopedia of
  education (second edition), (vol. 11,
  pp.6452-6457). Oxford, UK Pergamon.
• Politzer, Robert (1965). Some reflections on
  transfer of training in foreign language
  learning. International Review of Applied
  Linguistics, 3 171-177.
• Rivers, Wilga M. (1964). The psychologist and the
  foreign language teacher. Chicago, IL University
  of Chicago Press.
• Pugh, K.J., Bergin, D.A. (2006). Motivational
  influences on transfer. Educational Psychologist,
  41 147-160.
• Sajavaara, Kari (1986). Transfer and second
  language speech processing. In Crosslinguistic
  influence in second language acquisition, Eric
  Kellerman and Michael Sharwood Smith (eds.),
  66-79. Elmsford, NY Pergamon Press.
• Selinker, Larry (1969). Language transfer.
  General Linguistics, 9 67-92.
• Williams, Joanna P., Kendra M. Hall, Kristen D.
  Lauer, K. Brooke Stafford, Laura A. DeSisto, and
  John S. deCani (2005). Expository text
  comprehension in the primary grade classroom.
  Journal of Educational Psychology, 97 538-550.