Which term describes errors that originate from a learner's first language influence?

Which term describes errors that originate from a learner's first language influence?

• A. Systematic Errors
• B. Transfer Errors
• C. Cloze
• D. Dialogue Journal

Answer: (B)

Errors that originate from a learner’s first language influence are transfer errors. This happens when patterns from the native language—such as grammar, word order, or morphology—bleed into the second language as the learner still relies on L1 rules while forming interlanguage. Transfer errors are common early on because the learner is mapping familiar L1 structures onto the new language, which can lead to mistakes like using L1 word order or omitting articles in English due to how things are used in the native tongue. This specific idea of cross-linguistic influence is what the term transfer errors captures. The other options describe different kinds of tasks or concepts rather than the source of the error. A cloze task is about filling in missing words in a passage, and a dialogue journal is a writing activity used for practice and reflection. Systematic errors describe recurring mistakes from the learner’s own rule-learning process, not specifically from L1 interference.

Errors that originate from a learner’s first language influence are transfer errors. This happens when patterns from the native language—such as grammar, word order, or morphology—bleed into the second language as the learner still relies on L1 rules while forming interlanguage. Transfer errors are common early on because the learner is mapping familiar L1 structures onto the new language, which can lead to mistakes like using L1 word order or omitting articles in English due to how things are used in the native tongue. This specific idea of cross-linguistic influence is what the term transfer errors captures.

The other options describe different kinds of tasks or concepts rather than the source of the error. A cloze task is about filling in missing words in a passage, and a dialogue journal is a writing activity used for practice and reflection. Systematic errors describe recurring mistakes from the learner’s own rule-learning process, not specifically from L1 interference.