CEFContemporary Education Frontiers3029-18793029-1860Bio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.18063/CEF.v3i8.902ArticleLanguage Negative Transfer in Legal English Teaching and Its Coping Strategieshttps://artdesignp.com/journal/CEF/3/8/10.18063/CEF.v3i8.902NiuYanrong2025382025-09-26Amid economic globalization, Legal English is vital for international legal practice, yet language negative transfer hinders its teaching effectiveness. This study explores negative transfer’s manifestations in Legal English teaching at lexical, grammatical, and pragmatic levels, such as term connotation misalignment, syntactic confusion, and cultural thinking conflicts. It analyzes causes including linguistic differences between Chinese and Legal English, civil law thinking inertia, inadequate teaching, and students’ insufficient proficiency. Corresponding strategies are proposed: constructing a contrast-analysis teaching system, implementing targeted error correction, creating immersive scenario-based training environments, and strengthening cognitive-metastrategic ability cultivation. This research enriches relevant theoretical research and provides practical guidance for improving Legal English teaching quality and cultivating international legal talents.legal English teaching,language negative transfer,coping strategies

[1] Odlin T, 1989, Language Transfer: Cross-Linguistic Influence in Language Learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  [2] Zhao Y N, 2019, Negative Transfer of Mother Tongue in English. Creative Education, 10(5): 940-946. [3] Ellis R, 2015, Understanding Second Language Acquisition, 2nd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [4] Hawkins R, Liszka S, 2003, Locating the source of defective past tense marking in advanced L2 English speakers. In R. van Hout, A. Hulk, F. Kuiken, & R. Towell (Eds.), The interface between syntax and lexicon in second language acquisition (pp. 21-44). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. [5] Xie Z T, 2023, A Study of English Grammar Teaching Strategies for Junior Middle School Based on the Study of Chinese Negative Transfer. Advances in Education, 13(7): 4783-4788 [6] Cummins J, 1979, Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children. Review of Educational Research, 49(2): 222–251. [7] Shen Y, 2025, Moving Beyond Cross-Language Transfer in a Single Modality: The Transfer Integration Hypothesis. Review of Educational Research: 1–49. [8] Baker C,1998, Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Multilingual Matters Ltd. [9] Krashen S, 1999, Comdemmed Wihout a Trial: Bogus Arguments Against Bilinguial Education. Portsmouth, NH: Heineman.