A Study on the Interlanguage Development of the English Present Simple Tense in Chinese Primary Students' Acquisition

This study is situated within the context of China's ongoing reforms in basic education, initiated in the 21st century. Within this framework, understanding students' learning behaviours and challenges becomes crucial for improving teaching quality and outcomes. The present simple tense is one of the most commonly used English tenses and aspects. It is also a major difficulty in teaching elementary English grammar. Several factors might contribute to errors made by primary school students in the acquisition of the present simple tense, including the influence of Chinese morphology, the fossilisation of interlanguage, and the development of cognitive ability. Currently, there is a relative lack of studies on errors in the acquisition of the English present simple tense by Chinese primary school students. The current paper aims to investigate the nature and patterns of errors related to the English present simple tense and discuss the principal linguistic and cognitive factors contributing to these specific errors. Through categorising and analysing various errors encountered in the real context of a fundamental English classroom setting in China, the present study probes to inform language learning and teaching practices, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of language instruction for primary students. This study sheds light on optimising elementary English grammar teaching, including enhancing the frequency effect, reducing negative transfer, and strengthening positive psychological hints.