A Psycholinguistic Approach to the Phenomenon of Transfer in the Acquisition and Use of Second Languages

The study of transfer is one of the truly perennial issues in discussions of second language (L2) acquisition. This scholarly attention is a reflection of the ever-present & crucial role played by the learner's existing linguistic knowledge in his/her attempts to learn & use an L2. The present paper first offers a review of the research in the field from a psycholinguistic perspective. To this end, the main theoretical traditions in the study of transfer will be reviewed & their contribution to our understanding of the phenomenon of transfer will be assessed in terms of the answers provided to the relevant questions in the field, namely, what & how much is transferred, by whom, where, why, & how. The last part of the paper will be devoted to the analysis of transfer as a language-use strategy. This will include a review of the empirical research on the use of the native language in the production of oral & written messages in a nonnative language. 3 Figures, 106 References. Adapted from the source document