Investigating the effects of languages interference among multilingual EFL learners' writing productions

Abstract

Language interference has become more and more common, particularly, in English language classes. Learners of English as a foreign language tend generally to refer to their first language when learning the foreign one. In composition, realizing a satisfactory level in English writing is the main interest of teachers and students. Yet, a significant number of EFL students are probably incapable to achieve this level because they commit different errors when writing. The present research aims at exploring the common committed errors in students’ English writing and highlighting the causal factors that lead to first language interference. This study is conducted with first year English students in the department of English, at Abdrrahmane Mira, Bejaia University. A mixed method was adopted, in which the data were gathered through a questionnaire addressed to 21 students to survey their opinions about the effects of first language on English writing. Besides, 19 short paragraphs, written by first year EFL students, were qualitatively analyzed to identify the committed errors induced by L1 interference. The findings indicate that first language interference exists at many language levels among EFL learners. Several factors contributing to L1 interference were identified, including lack of students’ vocabulary of English language, lack of practicing the writing and the reading skills and the students’ thinking in their mother tongue when writing in English.