Native Language Interference in Learning a Second Language

A Critical Review of Bhela’s (1999) “Native Language Interference in Learning a Second Language: Exploratory Case Studies of Native Language Interference with Target Language Usage”
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A Critical Review of Bhela’s (1999) “Native Language Interference in Learning a Second Language: Exploratory Case Studies of Native Language Interference with Target Language Usage”
Learning a second language (L2) has been a frequent preoccupation of individuals across time and geography. People have been motivated to learn foreign languages for all kinds of reasons. With the exponentially growing web of communication and commerce, professionals and social travelers are driven to learn new languages. Thus, it remains pertinent (for the teacher and the learner) to understand the pitfalls that could hinder the smooth and speedy acquisition of proficiency in a target language. Bhela’s (1999) article highlights some pitfalls – stemming from the native language (L1) – that could arise on a learner’s journey. According to Bhela (1999), acquiring the structural components of the target language is one thing, and organizing those components in a manner that aids the proficient use of that language is another story altogether. Often, learners rely on their L1 to form and articulate their responses in L2. Thus, many errors occur due to distinct structural differences between L2 and L1. This essay reviews Bhela’s (1999) article to gain a good grasp of research methods and approaches.
The introduction and literature review reveal some incongruence in expert agreement on the sources of errors in the target language. Some experts argue that the structurally closer L1 and L2 are, the higher the interference of L1 on L2. Others argue that more interference occurs when the two languages are distinctly further apart structurally. However, ...