Cross-linguistic Similarity in Foreign Language Learning (Paperback)

Hakan Ringbom

ISBN 10: 1853599344 / ISBN 13: 9781853599347

Published by Channel View Publications Ltd, Bristol, 2006

About this Item

Paperback. This book explores the importance of cross-linguistic similarity in foreign language learning. While linguists have primarily focussed upon differences between languages, learners strive to make use of any similarities to prior linguistic knowledge they can perceive. The role of positive transfer is emphasized as well as the essential differences between comprehension and production. In comprehension of related languages, cross-linguistic similarities are easily perceived while in comprehension of distant languages they are merely assumed. Production may be based on previous perception of similarities, but frequently similarities are here merely assumed. Initially, effective learning is based on quick establishment of cross-linguistic one-to-one relations between individual items. As learning progresses, the learner learns to modify such oversimplified relations. The book describes the ways in which transfer affects different areas of language, taking account of the differences between learning a language perceived to be similar and a language where few or no cross-linguistic similarities can be established. This book explores the importance of cross-linguistic similarity in foreign language learning. Similarities can be perceived in the form of simplified one-to-one relationships or merely assumed. The book outlines the different roles of L1 transfer on comprehension and on production, and on close and distant target languages. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781853599347

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Cross-linguistic Similarity in Foreign Language Learning (Paperback)
• Publisher: Channel View Publications Ltd, Bristol
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1853599344
• ISBN 13: 9781853599347
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

This book explores the importance of cross-linguistic similarity in foreign language learning. While linguists have primarily focussed upon differences between languages, learners strive to make use of any similarities to prior linguistic knowledge they can perceive. The role of positive transfer is emphasized as well as the essential differences between comprehension and production. In comprehension of related languages, cross-linguistic similarities are easily perceived while in comprehension of distant languages they are merely assumed. Production may be based on previous perception of similarities, but frequently similarities are here merely assumed. Initially, effective learning is based on quick establishment of cross-linguistic one-to-one relations between individual items. As learning progresses, the learner learns to modify such oversimplified relations. The book describes the ways in which transfer affects different areas of language, taking account of the differences between learning a language perceived to be similar and a language where few or no cross-linguistic similarities can be established.

About the Author

Håkan Ringbom is Emeritus Professor of English at Åbo Akademi University, Turku/Åbo, Finland. His published monographs include a study of the narrative technique of Beowulf and Lawman’s Brut, a stylistic study of George Orwell’s essays and his 1987 study of the role of the first language in foreign language learning. He has also published some 50 articles in the fields of second language acquisition, multilingualism, corpus linguistics, contrastive analysis and stylistics.