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Abstract Abstract: Based on Conceptual Transfer Hypothesis and lexicalization of motion event, this study identifies the reverse conceptual transfer in Chinese EFL learners’ verbalization of motion event in Mandarin Chinese. The results of the study revealed that 1) due to differences in conceptual stores and conceptualization patterns, monolingual Chinese speakers used more path verbs and deictic verbs separately in expressions of path, while English learners used more adverbs to modify manner verbs and resorted to more specific descriptions of manner of motion, and they expressed more ground information such as source, medium and goal; 2) for the foreign language environment, the thinking patterns of all subjects were mainly influenced by Chinese and they seldom packaged source and goal into a clause, descriptions of a physical setting were used to add more information to ground. The findings show that reverse conceptual transfer occurs under the influence of English learning at the discourse level, but English proficiency level is not significantly related to the degree of reverse conceptual transfer effect. Language environment influences the scope and degree of conceptual transfer.
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