Types of Language Transfer

Abstract

Commonly discussed in the context of English language learning and teaching, the phenomenon of language transfer is also known by various terms, including L1 interference, linguistic interference, and cross linguistic influence. However, it is not limited to English and can occur in any situation where someone does not have native-level proficiency in a language, such as when translating into a second language. Bilingual child language acquisition is another area where language transfer is frequently observed, particularly when one language is dominant.