Date of Award
12-2025
Degree Type
Honors College Thesis
Academic Program
Foreign Languages BA
Department
Foreign Languages and Literature
First Advisor
Christopher Miles, Ed.D.
Advisor Department
Foreign Languages and Literature
Abstract
This study investigates how English influences the Spanish acquisition of English-speaking learners by analyzing written errors, background factors, and interview data. Using two linguistic classification frameworks, it identifies both the types and underlying causes of errors, revealing that gender and plural agreement issues, verb forms, word order problems, and subjunctive misuse are the most frequent difficulties. These errors primarily stem from first-language transfer, overgeneralization, and instructional gaps. The findings highlight the need for targeted practice, contrastive analysis, and greater exposure to authentic Spanish input. Despite limitations such as small sample size and incomplete interview participation, the study offers direction for future research through longitudinal studies, spoken-language analysis, and comparisons across learners with different first-language backgrounds to deepen understanding of interlanguage development.
Copyright
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Recommended Citation
Wallace, Erin, "The Effect of an English Mother Tongue on Spanish Language Acquisition" (2025). Honors Theses. 1061.
https://aquila.usm.edu/honors_theses/1061