Exploring the Impact of Biological Gender on L1 Negative Transfer in English Preposition Learning

An Explanatory Study

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of biological gender on L1 negative transfer in learning English 
prepositions. Interviews were conducted with 12 English language learners, revealing that males 
performed better in spatial prepositions but struggled with other types. A mixed-methods approach was 
used, combining qualitative and quantitative research. Female participants demonstrated higher 
performance, and the study was conducted in Luxembourg, a multilingual country. Ethical considerations 
were addressed, achieving a 91.08% response rate. Results indicated females generally outperformed 
males in prepositional accuracy. Language transfer from L1 impacted preposition acquisition, with 
replacement errors being common. Females showed greater syntactic maturity, while males exhibited 
advanced linguistic skills. Stylistic differences in writing styles were observed. The study highlights the 
influence of gender in language acquisition and contributes to understanding gender disparities in 
second language learning.