If a language skill is not present in a learner’s L1, what does transfer theory suggest?

If a language skill is not present in a learner’s L1, what does transfer theory suggest?

• A. It will vanish as soon as L2 is practiced.
• B. It cannot be learned and should be ignored.
• C. The skill will automatically learned through immersion with no instruction.
• D. It should be explicitly taught to learners.

Answer: (D)

Transfer theory shows that if a skill does not exist in a learner’s first language, there is no L1 pattern to transfer, so the learner won’t acquire that skill just by exposure or immersion. Because the new feature requires building a fresh representation and possibly new articulations or rules in the L2, explicit teaching is necessary. That means clear explanations, modeling, guided practice, and feedback focused on the target skill help learners develop it directly in the second language. For example, teaching unfamiliar English sounds or grammatical constructions with targeted activities and corrective feedback is more effective than expecting immersion alone to produce them. Immersion without instruction often leaves the learner without the necessary explicit knowledge to reproduce the skill accurately.

Transfer theory shows that if a skill does not exist in a learner’s first language, there is no L1 pattern to transfer, so the learner won’t acquire that skill just by exposure or immersion. Because the new feature requires building a fresh representation and possibly new articulations or rules in the L2, explicit teaching is necessary. That means clear explanations, modeling, guided practice, and feedback focused on the target skill help learners develop it directly in the second language. For example, teaching unfamiliar English sounds or grammatical constructions with targeted activities and corrective feedback is more effective than expecting immersion alone to produce them. Immersion without instruction often leaves the learner without the necessary explicit knowledge to reproduce the skill accurately.