On applying the Law of Positive Transfer in Business English Letter Writing

Abstract: The effect of Chinese on English learning has traditionally been seen to be one of interference, many people believe that the Chinese learners learn English through Chinese, Almost all the transfer of Chinese on English are negative. But in view of the writer , there are some effects in Business English Letter Writing: the same Jargon, the same structure and style, the same criteria for effective Business writing can be positively transferred. If we make full use of the law of positive transfer in Business English Letter Writing, we can effectively raise the efficiency of Business English Letter Writing Learning.

Key words: transfer of learning;positive transfer;Business English Letter Writing;Applying the Law of Positive Transfer

中图分类号:H319 文献标识码: A文章编号:1672-1578(2009)11-0027-02

1 Introduction

This term is first technically defined by the behavioral psychologists to mean the automatic, uncontrolled and subconscious carryover of precious performance or knowledge ( past-learned behavior) to subsequent learning in an attempt to produce new responses. Educational psychologist and educators also use it to describe the use of past knowledge and experience in new situations. In second language learning , language transfer refers to the effect of the first language on the learning of the second language.

Transfer not only helps but also hampers foreign language learning because transfer can be positive and negative. Positive transfer occurs when the prior knowledge benefits the learning task——that is , when a previous item is correctly applied to present subject matter. When both the native language and the target language have the same form, pattern or rule, the transfer facilitates learning.

It is exceedingly important to remember that the native language of a second language learner is often positively transferred. In the case, the learner benefits from the facilitating effects of the first language.

Negative transfer, also termed as interference , hampers learning. It occurs: when the first language interferes the foreign language learning, or the previous performance disrupts the performance on a second task and leads to errors, or a certain rule or principle in the target language is incorrectly applied to another learning situation and leads to errors. This is a common strategy employed by L2 learners. They often use L1 patterns or rules in learning L2, which results in errors or inappropriate forms in the target language.

Transfer is a learning strategy in L2 learning. Whether it is positive or negative does not depend upon the learners but upon the similarity or difference of the forms, patterns or rules between the two languages.

2 Positive Transfer in Business English Letter Writing

Because there are many similarities in Business English Letter Writing and Business Chinese Letter writing,Thats to say , between Business English Letter Writing and Business Chinese Letter writing, the positive effects are chief, and the Positive Transfer in Business English Letter Writing should be paid much attention to.

2.1The same Jargon can be positively transferred

Jargon: speech used by a marked group of people such as a trade or occupation, appearing as a divergence from the national language and understood as the modifications that a professional group brings to the national language , especially in vocabulary and pronunciation. Business English has developed into the most active branch of English for specific purposes.(ESP) . During the cooperation between the international trade, a lot of Jargon or chunks are established and widely used. And these Jargon and chunks are just the same in Business English and Business Chinese. So if the students have mastered these jargon or chunks , they would transfer them to Business English Letter Writing.

There are four kinds of chunks (including some jargon):

1) words and/or poly-words: FOB CIF CFR ( price terms)

2) phrasal constraints: … for your reference ; an offer subject to…

3) conventionalized or institutionalized expressions: As requested,…

Enclosed pleased find…

4) sentence builders:

2.2The same structure and style can be positively transferred

The first impression a business letter makes on its reader often determines whether that letter will actually be read, and it also may determine the readers reaction to the contents of the letter. Therefore , business letter writers must , in addition to composing well-written sentences and paragraphs, be able to communicate their thoughts in efficient, appropriate letter form. A well-dressed executive projects a quality image. A well-dressed letter also projects a quality image.

2.2.1 Letter structures and placement

Broadly speaking, business letters are usually composed of the following twelve elements: letterhead ; date; inside address; attention line; salutation; subject line; body; complimentary close; signature; reference initials ; enclosure; copy notation. Among these twelve elements, letterhead ,date , inside address, salutation , the body, the complementary close and signature are necessary for business letter, while the others are optional ,both in Chinese and in English.

2.2.2 Styles

There are at least four business styles of letters: Block, ModifiedBlock, Simplified and Indented. But the style usually used both in Chinese and English are the same.

2.2.2.1The same criteria for effective Business writing can be positively transferred

A Business message is considered successful when (1) the receiver interprets the message as the sender intended it and (2) it achieves the senders purposes. In order to meet these objectives, American experts in business communication developed six Cs principles: Courtesy, Correctness, Conciseness, Clarity, Concreteness and Completeness.

These standards are also the requests for the writers to compose both Chinese and English Business letters. Whenthe students want to write the good English Business letters, Fist of all, He should learn the knowledge of Business Chinese Letters very well. For the same criteria for effective Business writing can be positively transferred.

3 Making full use of the law of positive transfer in Business English Letter Writing teaching

3.1Teaching Business English vocabulary through Chinese

There are many items specially used in business, both in English and Chinese .For example, price terms: There are many International Commercial Price Terms. The main useful are: FOB, CIF, CFR, FCA, CPT, CIP.

When teaching these terms, the teacher should explain the each term in Chinese ,and then givean example , tell the condition when it is used, then let the students to think of it by themselves .For these terms are the same meanings both in English and Chinese.

3.2Teaching Business English discourse through Chinese

As a specific purpose language, there are similar discourses both in English and Chinese. For example:

When write letters that ask for enquiries and requests, the general plan for direct order are: a) Begin directly with theobjective——either a specific question or a general request for information; b) Include necessary explanation——wherever it fits; c) If a number of questions are involved , list the questions by numbers or bullets, or leave space between questions; d) End with good-wish words adapted to each particular situation.

When teaching the Business English Letters discourse, the teacher can supply some Chinese business letters for the students to read, to imitate, this will be helpful for them to master the business letter discourse, and it makes it easy for them to write a Business English letters in the proper discourse.

3.3Comparing with Business Chinese letters, Correct the mistake in the Business English letters.

Because there are many similarities in Business English and Chinese letters , students can Correct the mistake in the Business English letters comparing with Business Chinese letters. Thats to say, If a student want to make much progress in Business English Letter Writing, first of all , he should learn Chinese well. And during my teaching, I always find that the students with higher level Chinese can write an business English letter easily and quickly. And the students with poor Chinese can hardly write an business English letter in plain sentences.

4 Conclusion

The effect of Chinese on English learning has traditionally been seen to be one of interference, many people believe that the Chinese learners learn English through Chinese, Almost all the transfer of Chinese on English are negative. From this article you may see , there are some positive effects in Business English Letter Writing: the same Jargon , the same structure and style ,the same criteria for effective Business writing can be positively transferred

If we make full use of the law of positive transfer in Business English Letter Writing, Thats to say: Teaching Business English vocabulary through Chinese; Teaching Business English discourse through Chinese; Comparing with Business Chinese letters, Correct the mistake in the Business English letters. we can effectively raise the efficiency of Business English Letter Writing Learning.

Bibliography:

[1]Ellis M.& C. Johnson. Teaching Business English[M].Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

[2]Ellis, R. The study of Second Language Acquisition [M].Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995.

[3]Yingkun H. Business English Writing [M]. Foreign Language Teaching and Reseach Press, 2005.

[4]舒白梅. 现代外语教育学[M].上海外语教育出版社, 2005.

作者简介:王旭忠,讲师,英语教育硕士。