Which term describes using knowledge of L1 to influence L2 learning?

• A. Interlanguage
• B. Code-Switching
• C. Language Transfer
• D. Fossilization

Answer: (C)

Language transfer describes using knowledge from your first language to shape how you learn and use a second language. This can help when the two languages share similar patterns or cognates, but it can also lead to errors when L1 habits don’t fit the L2. For example, you might apply word order or adjective placement from your L1 to English, producing phrases like “the house red” instead of “the red house,” or you might rely on familiar L1 pronunciation or expressions that don’t map cleanly onto L2 norms. Understanding this helps explain why learners sometimes produce well-formed phrases that still reflect L1 influence, and why some errors recur across learners who share the same L1.

Interlanguage refers to the learner’s evolving internal system as they test hypotheses about how the language works, code-switching is mixing languages within the same discourse, and fossilization is when certain incorrect forms become fixed despite continued exposure to the correct form. The term that describes using L1 to influence L2 learning is language transfer.