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Chap.3 SLA

1. The document discusses the concept of interlanguage, which refers to the systematic development of a learner's second language knowledge as their own mental grammar system. 2. Early behaviorist theories viewed language learning as habit formation through reinforcement, but this cannot fully explain second language acquisition. 3. A mentalist theory emerged that saw the human mind as having an innate language acquisition device, requiring only input to trigger its operation.

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Najib Khumaidillah
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163 views2 pages

Chap.3 SLA

1. The document discusses the concept of interlanguage, which refers to the systematic development of a learner's second language knowledge as their own mental grammar system. 2. Early behaviorist theories viewed language learning as habit formation through reinforcement, but this cannot fully explain second language acquisition. 3. A mentalist theory emerged that saw the human mind as having an innate language acquisition device, requiring only input to trigger its operation.

Uploaded by

Najib Khumaidillah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SUMMARY

CHAPTER 3
INTERLANGUAGE

Interlanguage The systematic development of learner language reflects a mental system of
L2 knowledge.

Behaviorist learning theory
The dominant psychological theory of the 1950s and 1960s was behaviourist learning theory.
According this theory, language learning is like any other kind oflearning that it involves habit
formation. Learning took place when learners had the opportunity to practice making the correct
response to given stimulus. Learners imitated models of correct language and received positive
reinforcement if they were correct and negative reinforcement if they were correct.
Behaviourism cannot adequately account for L2 acquisition. This is readily apparent from the
descriptive work on learner language.
A mentalist theory of language learning
From a preoccupation with the role of nurture, researchers switch their attention to nature.
This paradigm, was, therefore, mentalist in orientation.
In the 1960s and 1970s a mentalist theory of L1 acquisition emerged. According to this theory :
1. Only human beings are capable of learning language
2. The human mind is equipped with a faculty for learning language referred to as a
Language acquisition device
3. This faculty is primary determinant of language acquisition
4. Input is needed, but only to trigger the operation of the language acquisition device
What is interlanguage?
The term interlanguage was coined by the American linguist. Learners interlanguage is,
therefore, a unique linguistic system.
The concept of interlanguage involves the following premises about L2 acquisition :
1. The learner constructs a system of abstract linguistic rules called mental grammar
which underlines comprehension and production of the L2
2. The learners grammar is permeable. That is the grammar are open to influence from the
outside and inside
3. The Learners grammar is transitional. This results in an interlanguage continuum that
learners construct a series of mental grammars of interlanguages as they gradually
increase the complexity of their L2 knowledge.
4. System learners construct contain variable rules. That is, they argue that learners are
likely to have completing rules at any one stage of development
5. Learners employ various learning strategies to develop their interlanguage
6. The learners grammar is likely to fossilize.
A computational model of L2 acquisition
The concept interlanguage implies that the human mind functions like a computer. The learner is
exposed to input, which is processed in two stages. First, parts of it are attended to and taken into
short-term memory (intake). Second, some of the intake is stored in long-term memory as L2
knowledge. Finally L2 knowledge is used by the learner to produce spoken and written output.
The L2 knowledge component can be broken up into two or more components to reflect the
different kinds of knowledge learners construct.

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