NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

What does positive transfer refer to in language learning?

1. Using native language expressions only

2. Understanding the grammatical rules of a new language

3. Finding similarities between native language and English

4. Learning through multimedia resources

The correct answer is: Finding similarities between native language and English

Positive transfer in language learning refers to the concept of leveraging similarities between a learner's native language and the target language they are learning, such as English. When learners identify commonalities in vocabulary, sentence structure, or grammar between their native language and the new language, it can enhance their understanding, facilitate communication, and ease the learning process. This is because the recognition of familiar elements helps the learner to build connections and reinforcement of knowledge, making it easier to acquire new skills and patterns. The other options do not directly capture the essence of positive transfer. Using native language expressions only might limit a learner’s proficiency in the new language rather than facilitate it. Understanding the grammatical rules of a new language is certainly important, but it does not inherently relate to the comparison between languages that defines positive transfer. Learning through multimedia resources can be beneficial for language acquisition, but it does not specifically address the transfer of knowledge from the native language to the new language.