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Interlanguage & Error Analysis "Interlanguage" is the term used to describe
each individual's own progress at learning another language. It is not possible for a
teacher or researcher to know for sure what a student's interlanguage is regarding a particular
language point because interlanguage is in the student's brain. We can examine evidence
of their interlanguage through what they say and write, but that does not let us know how
much subconscious understanding they have. Amazingly, every student learning another
language follows the same basic development of language points in their interlanguage.
Error analysis is the process of looking at the mistakes learners make and attempting
to explain why they are making those mistakes. For example, learners studying ESL will acquire
irregular past tense earlier than regular past tense. So, when a student says, "I caught
the ball," error analysis seeks to explore whether they used the correct tense because
they know it is the correct tense (such as in upper levels) or because they learned the
word in that form (such as in lower levels). Furthermore, a learner who says, "I catched
the ball," is further along in their language development than a beginner who says "caught"
correctly because they have learned a rule regarding "ed" endings and are overgeneralizing
the rule. As teachers, it is unlikely most of us will
memorize the "natural order" of second language acquisition, so how do we deal with error
analysis in the classroom? Experience will help. But also, when teachers look at larger
language samples than just one or two sentences, they can get a grasp for what the student
knows and what they don't know. So that means providing opportunities for language production
beyond simple fill-in-the-blank or repetition. Also, instructors need to be aware that while
students may correctly apply language by rote memorization when it is first learned, they
are unlikely to maintain that ability for very long without sufficient practice in a
variety of ways. Similarly, recognize that once a student really learns a pattern, they
are likely to overgeneralize it and use it for everything for a while. This should be
praised by the instructor, even as you correct the mistake. This shows an internalization,
or a change in their interlanguage, that is moving forward towards fluency. However, ignoring
the error can lead to fossilization in their interlanguage, meaning they get stuck at a
certain point and continue making the same error throughout their life. Fossilized errors
are extremely difficult to change. On the other hand, it's also important to
know if the error is really real and is going to stay in the interlanguage or if it's just
a process, a developmental step that they are moving through. The teacher needs to know
which one. But...it's better to err on the side of correcting the mistake.
In summary, we explored interlanguage and error analysis in the classroom.