济南方言对英语语音习得的迁移作用(2)
Acknowledge 2
Bibliography 2
Appendix 2
1 Introduction
1.1 Research Background
Language transfer is one of the most influential factors in the process of second language acquisition (SLA) (Ellis Rod，2000: 102).In Chinese learners’ process of English learning, they are definitely affected by their knowledge of Chinese and this effect can also be found in their dialects and especially in the aspect of English speech sounds. As the speech sounds play an important role in oral communication, it is significant to find out how the dialects affect Chinese learners’ English pronunciation and then to improve their ability of English oral communication.
1.2 The subject of the Research
This thesis studies the influence of Jinan dialect on the acquisition of English pronunciation from the aspect of first language transfer. By the study and contrast of the pronunciation system of Jinan dialect and English, similarities and differences can be found. Differences between Jinan dialect and English create difficulties in the process of English pronunciation acquisition, which is negative transfer. Similarities between them can help the Jinan student acquire standard English pronunciation and this is the positive transfer.
1.3 The Scope of the Research
The phonetic differences between two languages exist at two levels: segmental and suprasegmental. The segmental factors include vowels and consonants which are phonemes, while the suprasegmental factors refer to phonological units which are larger than phonemes, like stress and intonation. And the latter is always influenced by some other reasons rather than dialect, such as the style of a passage. So, this paper will only analyze the influence of Jinan dialect on English pronunciation at segmental level.
1.4 The Significance of the Research
From theoretical point of view, this study can enrich the theory of first language transfer and extend the theory into a more concrete branch. In this thesis, first language (L1)is no longer a concept on its wide sense but the language the learners use for everyday communication which is their dialects. Therefore, the object of L1 transfer study will be extended to the area of dialects.
In practical teaching and learning, this study will not only help Jinan students to improve their English pronunciation, but also give all second language (L2) learners some insights into the transfer of dialect on English pronunciation acquisition.
1.5 The Organization of the Thesis
In chapter 1, the background information and the scope and significance of the study are introduced. Chapter 2 introduces L1 transfer and the researches related to it. Chapter 3 proposes the theoretical framework: contrastive analysis and error analysis. Chapter 4 is research design which includes the survey and pronunciation test and data collection. In chapter 5, the findings of the research are discussed. The last part of this thesis presents a conclusion which is based on the results obtained from the previous chapters as well as limitations of the study.