Modern Standard Arabic interference in Algerian English as a foreign language students’ writing

Abstract

Linguistic interference is a phenomenon which occurs when the learner’s knowledge of his/her first language or mother tongue interferes withhis/her knowledge of the language that is being learnt. This problem is recurrent among foreign-language learners. A case in point: in Algeria, Modern Standard Arabic interferes with English in students’ oral and written production. Hence, stylistic errors are reproduced by learners because their knowledge of the foreign language has been established incorrectly. Therefore, this article will explore the types of errors stemming from linguistic interference made in written English by pupils at Bouazza Miloud High School in Tlemcen, Algeria. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of first-year pupils’ written production has revealed various syntactic, lexical and semantic errors. These findings underline the need fora detailed analysis in order to propose pedagogical solutions, such as using authentic materials and a focus on reading, that will enable students to write correctly and coherently.

Keywords: Modern standard Arabic, language interference, negative transfer, interlingual errors, writing