What is cross-linguistic transfer in bilingual development?

What is cross-linguistic transfer in bilingual development?

• A. Learning two languages with no influence.
• B. Transfer of gestures across languages.
• C. Influence of one language on the acquisition of another, e.g., transfer of syntax or phonology.
• D. Phoneme production only in the second language.

Answer: (C)

Cross-linguistic transfer occurs when features from one language influence how another language is learned. In bilingual development, the mental systems for both languages interact, so aspects like syntax, phonology, morphology, and even meaning can be shaped by the other language. This can help learning when the two languages share similar structures or sounds (positive transfer), or it can cause errors when they differ (negative transfer). For example, a child learning both Spanish and English might apply Spanish word order or pronunciation patterns to English, or apply pluralization or agreement rules across languages. Transfer is bidirectional and varies with how similar the languages are, how much exposure the child has, and their proficiency. This concept covers more than gestures or phoneme production in one language; it describes how one language can influence the learning of another across multiple linguistic domains.

Cross-linguistic transfer occurs when features from one language influence how another language is learned. In bilingual development, the mental systems for both languages interact, so aspects like syntax, phonology, morphology, and even meaning can be shaped by the other language. This can help learning when the two languages share similar structures or sounds (positive transfer), or it can cause errors when they differ (negative transfer). For example, a child learning both Spanish and English might apply Spanish word order or pronunciation patterns to English, or apply pluralization or agreement rules across languages. Transfer is bidirectional and varies with how similar the languages are, how much exposure the child has, and their proficiency. This concept covers more than gestures or phoneme production in one language; it describes how one language can influence the learning of another across multiple linguistic domains.