The Manifestation of Mother Tongue Influence (L1) in Writing Essays Among Primary ESL Students in Perak

Abstract

This study is important since it addresses Tamil-speaking ESL learners' concerns, notably primary schoolchildren in Perak, Malaysia. The study shows that transferring linguistic knowledge from one's native language (L1) to a second language (L2) affects punctuation, spelling, verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and pronoun use. The study used a qualitative research technique to examine how linguistic traits are transmitted from L1 to L2 and how to remedy this issue.   The research included 10 Perak fifth-graders. Each research participant had to write well in Tamil and English.   Four Perak teachers were chosen to comment. Two are first-language speakers and two are second-language speakers.  The study's main findings reveal Tamil ESL students in Perak's English writing challenges.  Capitalization errors and proper usage of commas, semicolons, and hyphens were common punctuation faults. Students acquainted with Tamil grammar sometimes deleted "be" verbs, making their usage difficult. Pronoun misuse, especially gender misidentification, was identified due to gender marking differences between the two languages.   Due to their Tamil proficiency, students sometimes misused pronouns, resulting in gender discrepancies. This research's instructional implications propose ways to lessen L1 linguistic traits' influence on L2 writing.  The study suggests adding interesting games and gamification to schooling.   This study illuminates the writing challenges Tamil ESL students in Perak, Malaysia, have when switching from Tamil to English.