Prior learning affecting new learning or performance is called what?

• A. Transfer
• B. Simplification
• C. Generalization
• D. Restructuring

Answer: (A)

Transfer of learning is when what you already know influences how you learn or perform something new. It can be positive, helping you apply prior knowledge to a new task, or negative, where old habits interfere. In language learning, previous experience with grammar, vocabulary, or patterns can speed up or shape how you tackle new material. For example, knowing gender patterns in Spanish can help you anticipate endings for new nouns you encounter. The other terms describe different ideas: simplification is about making a task easier by reducing complexity, generalization is extending a rule beyond its original context, and restructuring involves changing your mental organization to fit new information.