Arab World English Journal
AWEJ Vol.2 No.3 August 2011 pp. 28-49
The Role of Interlingual and Intralingual Transfer in
Learner-centered EFL Vocabulary Instruction
Dr Abdulmoneim Mahmoud
Department of English, College of Arts
Sultan Qaboos University
Abstract
This study seeks to present empirical data bearing out the claim that EA can bridge the gap between language learning and teaching through what has been revealed so far about learning and communication strategies. The study focuses on vocabulary errors and their direct bearing on vocabulary instruction. We intend to analyze the vocabulary errors made by the learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) and propose a strategy-based teaching technique that is in line with the learners’ psycho-cognitive association strategy reflected in interlingual and intralingual tarnsfer. At the linguistic level, meaning can be explained by presenting students with related words such as [1] true stylistic, regional and/or emotive synonyms, [2] distinguishable near-synonyms, [3] derivatives, [4] synforms, [5] superordinates/hyponyms, and [5] antonyms.
Key words: Learner-centered EFL vocabulary Instruction