The Influence of First Language on Second Language and Its Application to College English Teaching.docVIP

The Influence of First Language on Second Language and Its Application to College English Teaching 　　Abstract: First language can affect second language learning in both positive and negative ways. Through adopting theories of language acquisition, comparing similarities and differences between first and second languages, and analyzing general problems Chinese non-English majors encounter in their second language acquisition, this article examines effective ways of College English Teaching. 　　Key words: first language acquisition; second language learning; College English Teaching 　　First language refers to the first language learned in childhood and still spoken, or the native language of the community in which a child has been brought up. The development of a first or native language is called first language acquisition. People usually develop their native language naturally and successfully. A person’s first language is not necessarily his/her dominant language. For some people, language acquisition does not stop at the stage of first language acquisition. They go on to learn a second or foreign language. This process is called second language learning. A second language is any language learned after one’s first language. According to researches, the defining difference between a first language and a second language is the age the person learned the language. 　　In the process of acquiring a second language, Hyltenstam found that around the age of six or seven it seemed to be a cut-off point for language learners to achieve native-like proficiency. To achieve the fluency, it is better to start a second language education in an early age. In China, more and more people, especially college students, are learning English as their second language. But most of them complain about the difficulties in acquiring a foreign language and the embarrassment when frequently speaking Chinese-English in communications. So it is necessary to probe into the process of the first