Exploring Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue on English Speaking Performance of Third-Year EFL Students at a University in Vietnam.

This study explores how third-year English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at The University of Danang – University of Foreign Language Studies (UD-UFLS) perceive the impact of negative transfer from Vietnamese on their English speaking performance. It then identifies common errors and underlying factors, proposing strategies to mitigate this transfer. Using error analysis (EA) alongside quantitative and qualitative methods, 104 third-year EFL students participated, with data collected through oral corpora, questionnaires, and interviews. The study found that discoursal errors were most common (225), followed by lexical (59) and syntactic errors (67). Seven primary error categories were identified, with cohesion (169) being predominant. While most students recognized the adverse effects of negative transfer, few could distinguish between types. Factors contributing to this transfer included reliance on Vietnamese during speaking. Despite prolonged exposure to English, third-year EFL students struggled to overcome Vietnamese language patterns. The primary solution identified by third-year EFL students included consciously thinking in English during speech.