Abstract: English writing is one of the most difficult skills for Chinese students to acquire. This essay will study the effects of negative transfer of mother tongue on high school students’ writing. First, the essay illustrates the theoretical framework—the theory of error analysis. Then it reviews some related literature. Furthermore, the essay makes an analysis of characteristics and difficulties of English writing of high school students and the evaluation criteria of English writing in College Entrance Examination. The five-step method is adopted. After grouping and analyzing the typical errors in the 15 samples, the author gives three suggestions as to how to decrease the effects of the negative transfer of mother tongue on English writing of high school students. High school students are supposed to pay more attention to the differences of vocabulary between their mother tongue and English, take in more English grammar knowledge and accept English culture to form an English thought. Thus, they can decrease the effects brought about by the negative transfer of mother tongue and improve their writing. Finally, the author makes the conclusion.

Key words: high school students; English writing; negative transfer; the theory of error analysis

CONTENTS

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction. 1

2. Theory of Error Analysis .2

3. Literature Review.2

4. Situation of High School Students’ English Writing3

4.1 Characteristics and Difficulties of English Writing for High School Students

4.2 Evaluation Criteria of English Writing in College Entrance Examination

5. An Analysis of Typical Errors Concerning Negative Transfer.5

5.1 Errors Caused by Negative Transfer in Vocabulary

 5.1.1 Reasons for Negative Transfer in Collocation

 5.1.2 Reasons for Negative Transfer in Part of Speech

 5.1.3 Reasons for Negative Transfer in Meaning

5.2 Errors Caused by Negative Transfer in Grammar

 5.2.1 Reasons for Disorder of Words

 5.2.2 Reasons for Run-on Sentences 

5.3 Errors Caused by Negative Transfer in Culture

5.3.1 Reasons for Negative Transfer of Idioms 

5.3.2 Reasons for Negative Transfer in Organization

6. Strategies of Overcoming Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue.10

6.1 Studying Differences of Vocabulary between English and Chinese

6.2 Acquiring More Knowledge of English Grammar

6.3 Learning More English Culture 

7. Conclusion .11

Bibliography.13

Appendix

1) Evaluation Criteria of English Writing in College Entrance Examination

2) Fifteen Samples of High School Students’ English Writing

Acknowledgments24