TEMPORAL EXPRESSION ERRORS IN ENGLISH AMONG VIETNAMESE LEARNERS DUE TO FIRST LANGUAGE INTERFERENCE

Abstract

This study investigates the errors Vietnamese speakers commonly make when expressing temporal meaning in English, particularly through the use of tense and aspect. The research is grounded in the hypothesis that such errors stem from typological differences between Vietnamese and English, as well as issues of interlingual interference. The study population consisted of Vietnamese office professionals working in business-related companies and academic institutions, where English is regularly used for instruction and communication. The analysis revealed that temporal expression errors were largely attributable to negative language transfer from Vietnamese. Additionally, the findings suggest that discrepancies in how temporal concepts are cognitively processed in Vietnamese and English contribute significantly to these errors. The study underscores the need for targeted instructional strategies to help Vietnamese learners overcome challenges in mastering English temporal structures.