Negative Transfer among Adult and L2 Proficiency: Breaking the Gridlock in the Research

The ongoing question of whether negative transfer speech acts increases or decreases with gains in L2 proficiency has brought mixed results, some arguing that (Bu, 2012; Morkus, 2018) and others the opposite (Maeshiba, Yoshinaga, Kasper, & Ross, 2006). In response, this study measured frequency content refusals among 33 beginning 49 intermediate Japanese students English. Twenty-three English-speaking Americans 28 Japanese-speakers served as reference groups Data was collected using a discourse completion task developed by Beebe et al. (1990) which included 12 scenarios participants must make refusal to one four potential stimulus types: 1) request, 2) an invitation, 3) offer 4) suggestion. Three levels interlocutor status were according participant’s level: higher, lower, equal. statistical analysis chi-square test for goodness-of-fit suggested proficiency. Intermediates relied on three lower-status all equal-status scenarios. Negative occurred once scenario higher-status beginners. A qualitative revealed adjuncts only sensitive group. Future research should examine interconnections between patterning transfer.