Contrastive Linguistics

From Contrastive Analysis to Interlanguage

Angelika Isaak

Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis

● expectation that learners will have less difficulty acquiring target language patterns that are simi- lar to those of the L1 than those that are diffe- rent

● L1 = L2 > easier L1 ≠ L2 > harder

Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis

● Errors are the result of language transfer (interference from L1)

● Errors are bi-directional – Differences between languages result in the same errors / difficulties for learners (=parallel linguistic features)

But:

● Some errors are related to the intrinsic difficulty of language – Shared by learners with different L1 backgrounds (uniform errors irrespective of L1) – Remarkably similar to errors made in L1 Acquisition e.g. use of a regular {-ed} past tense ending on an irregular verb

And:

● Some errors are uni-lateral e.g. English – French: position of direct pronoun objects (predicted errors) - E>F: *le chien mange le (high probability) - F>E: [*the dog it eats] (lower probability)

Language transfer

● Language learners have intuitions about which language features they can transfer from L1 to TL – Most learners (advanced) don't translate idiomatic or metaphorical expressions

Error Analysis

● Many aspects of learners language could not be explained by CAH

● Errors were analyzed with a different approach

● Error analysis involved detailed description and analysis of the kind of errors L2 learners make

● Goal: discover what the learner knows about TL

● Important difference to contrastive analysis: no predicting but discovering / describing of errors

Interlanguage Hypothesis

● Learners' developing L2 knowledge: language intermediate between L1 and TL

● Independent linguistic system with characteristics from L1 (... Ln) and TL and general IL characteristics (omission of function words / grammatical morphemes)

● Systematic and dynamic

IL vs L1Acquisition

● Language transfer – Learner is active

● Transfer of training – Influence of teaching

● Strategies of L2 learning – Simplification / fundamental elements

● Strategies of L2 communication – Focus on meaning

● Overgeneralization of L2 rules

Interlanguage

● Backsliding: features of earlier stage of IL under certain circumstances

● Fossilization: features in IL stop changing – Different levels of language structure may be differently fossilized

e.g. phonology is fossilized from a greater distance from TL norms than syntax (adult learners )

Fossilizationn

● The majority of adult learners never achieve complete mastery of TL – Not just the inability to learn, lack of practice or lack of motivation – IL might start to fossilize once the learner's interactive needs are satisfied:

● communication needs (exchange of information)

● sociocultural needs (identification with target society)

Stages of Interlanguage

● Pre-systematic stage – Random errors, experimentation, uninformed guessing

● Emergent stage – Internalization of rules

● Systematic stage – Consistent, closer to TL norms

● Postsystematic stage – stabilization