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A summary of the National Literacy Panel’s findings with regard to evidence based literacy instructions for English Language Learners and suggestions for clinicians and educators.
Category: Language Transfer
This occurs when a bilingual (or multilingual) speaker exhibits characteristics of the first language (L1) in the second language (L2). There are two types of language transfer: positive and negative. Positive transfer occurs when the L1 and L2 have similar characteristics which help the speaker to have a “correct” production (i.e. native-like) in the L2. For example, word order is sometimes the same between English and Spanish and would be the same in the following sentences: “Ella es la maestra,” and “She is the teacher.” Negative transfer occurs when a speaker commits an error in the L2 as a result of influence in the L1. Consider this example of negative transfer from Spanish to English: “Es un perro negro,” influenced by Spanish syntax becomes “Is a black dog” when it should be “IT is a black dog.” Both types of language transfer are present in all domains of language including semantics, syntax and phonology.
Relevant Research: Factors That Influence Fast Mapping in Children Exposed to Spanish and English
The current study asked whether bilingual children would show less advantage in fast-mapping high-probability words as a result of interference from the second language (in this case Spanish) when compared to monolingual (English) children.
