Abstract This thesis is based on the studies of second language acquisition, and it aims to explore the hypothetical positive language transfer between mandarin and oral English. In the paper, questionnaires and interview are the two methods employed in data collecting. And the data were collected from 120 senior English majors in Huaiyin Normal University. After analyzing the data, it can be found that there is a positive transfer of mandarin in oral English acquisition. Discussions on the positive transfer in pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and culture indicate that students can promote the learning of oral English by improving the accuracy and quality of mandarin competence. In conclusion, it suggests much attention should be paid to the mastery of scientific manners in mandarin pronunciation, which is significant to the positive transfer between standard Chinese and English.59097

Keywords: positive transfer; mandarin; oral English acquisition 

摘要本文以第二语言习得中语言迁移研究的理论为基础，致力于探究普通话与英语口语之间可能的正迁移关系。本文主要运用了问卷调查法和访谈法来进行调查和收集数据。这些数据来原于淮阴师范学院的120名英语专业的大四的学生。对数据进行分析之后，发现普通话对英语口语习得存在正迁移作用。通过对体现在发音，词汇，语法和文化方面的迁移的讨论说明学生可以通过提高普通话水平从而提高英语口语。最后指出普通话发音有助于学习者掌握科学的发音方法和对英语口语的正迁移。

毕业论文关键词：正迁移；普通话；英语口语习得

1. Introduction 1

2. Research Background 1

3.Research Questions and Hypotheses 3

4. Methodology 4

4.1 Participants 4

4.2 Data Collection 4

4.3 Data Analysis 5

5. Results and Discussion 9

5.1 The Positive Transfer of Pronunciation 9

5.2 The Positive Transfer of Vocabulary 11

5.3 The Positive Transfer of Grammar 12

5.4The Positive Transfer of Cultural Concepts 13

6. Conclusion 14

Works Cited 16

1. Introduction 

With the development of science and technology and the frequent global exchange at home and abroad, dialects would unlikely to satisfy the increasing need of communication. As a basis of communication, oral English is an important part of language. Every language has its particular pronunciation rules. People who learn the second language will inevitably be affected or disturbed by the pronunciation habit of native language, so do our Chinese. Chinese and English belong to two different language systems: Sino-Tibetan family and the Indo-European family. The differences between Chinese and English in pronunciation produce obvious language interference  or transfer when Chinese students learn English. In the case of spoken language,  positive transfer occurs when the pronunciation of Chinese and English are similar. Therefore, we should pay much attention to the pronunciation of standard Chinese, which helps to master the correct pronunciation and to have a positive transfer between Mandarin and English. Now that the close relationship between mandarin and oral English, this thesis is on the basis of language transfer theory to analyze the positive transfer between mandarin and oral English. 

2. Research Background