Chapter 3 The Description of Learner Language

Preliminaries:

(1) Error Analysis (EA) 1) the change of attitudes toward errors before late 1960s, seen as signs of learning failure; in late 60s & early 70s, no longer seen as signs of learning failure, but as the evidence for the learners developing language system and can offer insights into how learners process the language data. Thus comes the study of learners errors --- EA

2) EA: its purpose not only for improving LT, but for probing the psychological/mental process of LL. 3) errors vs. mistakes How to judge? Should teachers pay much attention to students mistakes?

4) EA: major steps 1.collecting errors 2.identifying errors (to decide whether the learners ungrammatical form is an error or not) 3.describing errors (to classify errors) 4.explaining errors (to find the source of the errors) 5.evaluating errors (to evaluate which errors are more serious and require more attention)

Step 3: describing errors 1. Corders classification of errors: presystematic errorssystematic ~postsystematic ~ 2. intralingual errors interlingual ~

Step 4: explaining errors learning strategies: interlingual t~ 1. transfer intralingual t~ 2. overgeneralization 3. simplification communication strategies 1. avoidance 2. language switch errors resulting from LT: textbook E.

Step 5: evaluating errors 1.global errors (e.g. There has a book) local errors (e.g. Im student) 2.criteria for evaluating errors: a. intelligibility b. acceptability c. irritation

5)What attitudes should we hold toward students errors? Questions: a. Should we correct students errors whenever they occur? b. Should all of students errors be corrected?Assignment: Identify language errors of your own or of others and find out their sources.

6) Comments on EA 1. contributions: the first deep study of learner language no longer regards errors as signs of non-learning; regards errors as evidence of learners language development 2. weakness only focuses on learners errors, ignores learners correct performance, therefore cannot give a full picture of LL; mostly cross-sectional study, few longitudinal study, therefore provides us little information about how learners language develops over time.

(2) developmental pattern in learners language1) developmental pattern in L2A silent periodl formulaic speech

1.routines: expressions which are learnt as unanalysed wholes. e.g. How do you do? I dont know. 2.patterns: expressions that are only partially unanalysed and have one or more open slots e.g. Can I have a ___________? Would you like to __________?*the role of formulae l syntactic and semantic simplification

2) natural route in language development 1. morpheme study 2. sequence of acquisition 3. L1=L2 hypothesis

(3) Variability of leaner language 1) Selinker first put forward the term interlanguage (IL); 2) definition (IL): learners systematic knowledge of an L2 that is independent of both his target language and L1. NL TL IL IL 3) learner language

3) variability of learner lg. 1. Systematic variability event: He arrived yesterday.linguistic context activity: He swimming yesterday. state: He seems unhappy yesterday. formal: My child is really troublesome. situational context informal: My kids a real pain. planned speech: less mistakespsychological context unplanned speech: more mistakes

2. free variation e.g. No look my card.Dont look my card. 3. (Tarone) vernacular style: like a cup of tea? careful style: Would you like a cup of tea?

5) Characteristics of IL: 1. systematic 2. permeable 3. transitional 4. variable 5. likely to fossilize (backsliding)

(4) pragmatic aspects of learner language the study of speech acts in leaner language:1.requests2.apologies3.refusalsAssignment:Ques. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5