Innovation in Language Learning

Learning English as a foreign language can posit a number of difficulties to students whose native language is Latin-based and therefore ethymologically different from a Germanic language such as English. Despite the abundance of Latin vocabulary in the English language, syntax and morphology may be difficult to master for a speaker of a Latin language, namely Portuguese students. A number of studies (Saeed & Davidson 2003, Picard 2002, Bhela 1999 for example) have already highlighted how L1 can deeply interfere with the learning of L2 and how some processes of transfer are regularly applied byspeakers of a foreign language.

The aim of this paper is to identify the most common processes of L1 interference and transfer based on a corpus of 1st year Portuguese university students who are taking English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at a B2 level. The processes of intereference and transfer that constitute mistakes in the target language will be coded for syntax, morphology and/or lexicon and remedial procedures to overcome these difficulties will then be set up. These remedial procedures will be twofold: one the one hand, a traditional, teacher-based method will be used whereby students will have to submit print handouts to their teacher based on the most common mistakes they have made, be it syntax, morphology or vocabulary. Parallel to this, a second group of students will be subjected to a "flipped" approach (Huba & Freed 2000, Crouch & Mazur 2001) whereby more learning autonomy will be given and students will first choose online, technology-based activities designed to help them overcome their linguistic short comings.

This paper will thus examine the following: the most common mistakes in the target language that may result from L1 interference; and the most efficient remedial, pedagogic method to help students improve their learning experience and mastering of English as a foreign language. Namely, this paper aims at testing a traditional vs "flipped" approach to hopefully derive meaningful conclusions as to which is the most efficient in terms of empowering students, boosting learning autonomy and develop language awareness.