Cross-linguistic Influence in Foreign Language Learning: a Case Study of the Learning of French at Kaumoni Secondary School, Makueni County, Kenya

Abstract

This study focuses on Cross-Linguistic Influence in the learning of French as a foreign language. The study investigates whether first and second languages learnt earlier on by learners influences the learning of a foreign language. The main objective of the study was to identify, classify and describe Cross Linguistic Influence related errors in the compositions of learners studying French at Kaumoni Secondary School, Makueni County. The study was guided by Error Analysis as proposed by Corder (1974). Cross-Linguistic Influence related errors were analysed in accordance to the five steps of error analysis i.e. identification, description and explanation. The target sample of the study was drawn from learners of French in Form two, form three and form four; all making a total of 40 learners. The CLI errors, identified in the learners‟ compositions were categorized into linguistic categories: lexical CLI errors and grammatical CLI errors. Each category was analysed with CLI errors given and their source explained. The frequency of CLI errors and their distribution was calculated and presented in tables, bar charts and pie charts. Based on the findings of this study, CLI related errors were found to emanate mainly from the learners‟ L2 (English) than their L2 (Kiswahili) and L1.