The Influence Of Mother Tongue On English Language Acquisition: A Case Study At Nguyen Tat Thanh University

This study investigates the impact of students' native languages on their acquisition of English at Nguyen Tat Thanh University (NTTU) in Vietnam. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research examines how mother tongue influences both the pronunciation and overall proficiency of English language learners. Qualitative data were gathered through interviews with 30 English majors, focusing on their experiences and perceptions of native language interference.Quantitative data were collected via standardized English proficiency tests administered to 100 students, assessing areas such as pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Findings indicate that negative transfer from the mother tongue significantly affects English pronunciation and structural aspects of language use. Specifically, phonetic discrepancies between Vietnamese and English lead to common pronunciation errors, while syntactic differences contribute to challenges in grammar and sentence construction. The study underscores the necessity for pedagogical strategies that address these specific areas of interference, suggesting that targeted pronunciation training and contrastive analysis of linguistic structures could mitigate the adverse effects of mother tongue influence. These insights aim to inform curriculum development and teaching methodologies at NTTU, ultimately enhancing English language acquisition among students.​