Cross-linguistic orthographic transfer: challenges and pedagogical implications for pre-service english teachers in Ecuador

This study examines the cross-linguistic orthographic transfer from Spanish CIENTÍFICAS. (L1) to English (L2) in the academic writing of pre-service English teachers at an Ecuadorian public university. The research focuses on the influence of L1 punctuationand syntactic structures on L2 writing, identifying systematic errors that hinder writing proficiency. A content analysis of 119 introductory paragraphs written by first-year students revealed frequent transfer-related errors, including comma overuse, run-onsentences, omission of periods, capitalization mistakes, article misuse, and incorrect word order. Findings indicate that these errors stem from directly applying Spanish writing norms to English, particularly in punctuation and sentence segmentation.Pedagogical implications suggest that explicit contrastive grammar instruction, structured writing interventions, AI- assisted feedback, and increased reading-based exposure can mitigate these errors. By addressing orthographic transfer, teachereducation programs can better equip pre- service teachers with the skills necessary for accurate and effective English writing.