The Nature of Learner Language

Alfaturraudhah Sumar Alwy (210203070)

Athaya Azkia (210203072)
Julia Makhrami (210203059)

FAKULTAS TARBIYAH DAN

KEGURUAAN UNIVERSITAS ISLAM

NEGRI AR-RANIRY BANDA ACEH

2023 M / 1445 H
 The Nature of Learner Language

Introduction:
Understanding the nature of learner language is essential for educators, linguists, and
language learners alike. As individuals embark on the journey of acquiring a new language, their
linguistic output often reflects a distinctive set of characteristics that distinguishes it from the native
speaker's language. This phenomenon, known as learner language, encapsulates the complexities
and nuances inherent in the process of language acquisition. By delving into the features, errors,
and developmental patterns present in learner language, researchers gain valuable insights into the
underlying mechanisms of second language acquisition (SLA).
Learner language is the written or spoken language produced by a learner. It is also the main
type of data used in second-language acquisition research. Much research in second-language
acquisition is concerned with the internal representations of a language in the mind of the learner,
and in how those representations change over time.
Mackey and Francis (1966) argue that language teaching is influenced by the ideas on the
nature of language, differences in language descriptions directly affect what is taught, and by the
idea on how the language is learned. They argue further that the concept of nature of language
sweeps from the view that language is a sequence of sounds to the conception of language as
everything that can be talked about it. Thus, according to Mackey and Francis when one talks about
the nature of language, several things are subsumed in it, and some overlap. Therefore, there are six
aspects or assumptions, as discussed below, which most of the works of literature ( e.g Mackey &
Francis, 1966; Lyons, 1981; Robins, 1985; Richards & Rodgers, 1986; Fairclough, 1997) indicate
that a language theory should look at when considering the nature of language. So in this paper we
want to discuss the aspect of nature learner language there are errors and errors analysis,
developmental patterns and variability in learner language.

Body Of Text

1. Errors and Errors Analysis

Errors are said to be helpful in the learning process rather frequently. Errors are in fact a
necessary part of the learning process. This is so that students can pinpoint areas in which they still
need to improve. In a similar vein, errors can help teachers by pointing up places where they might
enhance their instruction. Like any other type of human learning, learning a language is a process that
entails become error. Analyzing the error someone makes when developing a new language system is
essential to comprehending the process of learning a second language.
- Error

The definition of an error is the application of a word, speech act, or grammatical item in a way
that causes incomplete learners to see it as flawed and significant. When a student regularly makes
error and has not learnt anything, it is a systematic departure. Nonetheless, contextualization attempts
are intrinsically related to language learning and second language acquisition processes. Errors are
"signals" that the learner is still not at the level of linguistic competency necessary in the target
language and that the real learning process is underway.

- Error analisis
 Error analysis in this sense refers to a method that is based on the examination of error made by
students. The significance of learner errors is also explained by error analysis in three other ways.
There has been a sharp increase in the study of learner error, or "error analysis," as a result of the
realization that learners make error and that these error may be examined and categorized to disclose
elements of the internal system that functions within them.
One kind of language analysis that focuses on the error that pupils make is called error analysis. The
contrast between the target language and the error produced in it makes up this analysis. The
significance of student errors in the second language is emphasized by error analysis. It is crucial to
remember that a learner's mother tongue interference might contribute to errors in his target language
as well.(Khansir: 2012)

According to Ellis (1998), there are 4 stages of error analysis and errors in second language
acquisition (SLA). Please see the following explanation along with examples:
by Jean, an adult 1 rench learner of English told:
One day an Indian gentleman, a snake charmer, arrived in England by plane. He was coming from
Bombay with two pieces of luggage. The big of them contained a snake. A man and a little boy was
watching him in the customs area. The man said to the little boy 'Go’ and speak with this gentleman.
When the little boy was speaking with the traveller, the thief took the big suitcase and went out
quickly. When the victim saw that he cried 'Help me! Help me! A thief A thief! The policeman was in
this corner whistle but it was too late. The two thieves escape with the big suitcase, took their car and
went in the traffic. They passed near a zoo and stop in a forest. There they had a big surprise. The
basket contain a big snake.

1. Identifying errors

Identifying and detecting error in the learner's language production are part of this stage.

Error are:
A man and a little boy was watching him.
It is not difficult to see that the correct sentence should be:
A man and a little boy were watching him.

... went in the traffic.

Is this an error? A native speaker would probably prefer to say:
... went into the traffic.
but 'in the traffic' is not actually ungrammatical.

The big of them contained a snake.

The correct sentence is
the bigger of them contauned a snake.

 Errors are the result of a learner's ignorance of what is correct, and they represent gaps in their
knowledge. Errors are a reflection of sporadic performance gaps; they happen when a student is
unable to apply what they have learned in a specific situation.
 An instance of an apparent "mistake" exists. He states at the beginning of the story: in Jean's
words.
………………………….. The big of them contained a snake. ………………………………. The
basket contain a big snake
2. Describing errors

At this stage, the errors are described in detail, including their type, frequency, and linguistic context.
 subject-verb agreement – past tense
A man and a little boy was watching him.
It is not difficult to see that the correct sentence should be:
A man and a little boy were watching him.

 Native speaker
... went in the traffic.
Is this an error? A native speaker would probably prefer to say:
... went into the traffic.
but 'in the traffic' is not actually ungrammatical.

 comparative adjective
The big of them contained a snake.
The correct sentence is
the bigger of them contained a snake.
3. Explaining errors

In this situation, an effort is made to understand the underlying causes of the mistakes, such as the
impact of developmental factors or the original language. Simple verb forms are used in all of Jean's
past tense grammatical faults. Using a methodical approach suggests that Jean has created a pathway,
even though its rules are not the same as those of the target language.

4. Error evaluation

Errors are evaluated according to their importance, how they affect communication, and the pupils'
developmental stage. Instructors ought to concentrate on these. Certain error, referred to as global
errors, may be challenging to comprehend since they go against the sentence's general structure. For
instance, when Jean says, "The policeman was in this corner whistle..." the sentence's core structure is
incorrect, making it difficult to grasp.

2. Developmental Pattern
Developmental Patterns in Interlanguage Second Language Acquistion (SLA) scholars have
focused on a wide range of theories to explain the complex process of learning a second (or
additional) language. In the mid-1960s, as a relatively new field in its own right, SLA research was
built upon a multidisciplinary base of studies from fields such as linguistics, psychology, and
education to describe and explain the universal and variable factors involved in second language
acquisition. Although much of the early research was focused on pedagogical applications, in recent
years the orientation has realigned to more theoretical approaches to describe the learners’
developmental processes and the nature of learner language, otherwise known as interlanguage.

The developmental patterns of interlanguage have received attention in numerous studies, albiet
from different perspectives and not without controversy. While each study may provide an insight into
an aspect of how language is acquired, and key developmental stages within that process, no single
theory can yet explain the process of SLA comprehensively (Gitsaki, 1998, p.96). Rather than being
schismatic, it could be argued that the divergent lines of enquiry into the orders and sequences of
development in interlanguage will contribute to a more comprehensive overall picture of a learners’
cognitive and linguistic processes in the course of acquiring a second language. The term
‘interlanguage’ was coined by Selinker (1969, 1972)

When learners do begin to speak in the L2 their speech is likely to manifest two particular
characteristics.One is the kind of formulaic chunks which we saw in the case studies;The second
characteristic is propositional simplification.In time, though, learners do begin to learn the grammar
of the L2. This raises other questions. One concerns the acquisition order;Another conserns the
sequence of acquisition of particular grammatical structures, such as past tense.

The order of acquicition

- To investigate it, researchers choose a number of grammatical structure to study (e.g.
Progressive –ing, and auxiliary be). This enables them to arrive at an accuracy order. That is, they
rank the features according to how accurately each feature is used by learners.
- The research treats acquisition as if it is a process of accumulating linguistic structure.
- The acquisition of a particular grammatical structure, therefore, must be seen as a process
involving transitional constructions. For example, acquire irregular past tense forms (e.g. ate).
-Acquisation follows a U-shaped course of development; that is, initially learners may display a
high level of accuracy only to apparently regress later before finally once again perfoming in
accordance with target-language norms.
-Forms like ‘eaten’ and ‘ated’ represent an overgeneralization of the regular –ed past tense. This
kind of reorganization, which is believed to be prevelent in L2 acquisition. Is referred to as
restructuring.
-The kind of verb also influences the kind of errors learners make.
We can find out how a language is learned as a natural, untutored process by investigating what
learners do when exposed to the L2 in Communicative settings.
In such circumtances, some l2 learners, particularly if they are children, undergo silent period.
That is, they make no attempt to say anything to begin with. Of course, they may be learning a lot
about the language just through listening to or reading it. The silent period may serve as a preparation
of subsequent production. Some learners talk to themselves in the l2 even when they decline to talk to
other people.

The kind of Developmental Patterns :

A. The early stages of L2 acquisition

We can find out how a language is learned as a natural, untutored process by investigating what
learners do when exposed to the L2 in communicative settings. Some L2 learners, particularly if they
are children, undergo a silent period. That is, they make no attempt to say anything to begin with. Of
course, they may be learning a lot about the langugae just through listening or reading it.
B. The order of acquisition
To investigate the order of acquisition, researchers choose a number of grammatical structures to
study. They collect samples of learner language and identify how accurately each feature is used by
different learners. This enables them to arrive at an accuracy order. They then argue that the accuracy
order must be the same as the order of acquisition on the grounds that the more accurately learners are
able to use a particular feature the more likely they are to have acquired that feature early.
 C. Sequence of acquisition
When learners acquire a grammatical structure they do so gradually, moving through a series of
stages en route to acquiring the native-speaker rule. The acquisition of a particular grammatical
structure, therefore, must be seen as a process involving transitional constructions. Acquisition
follows a U-shaped course of development; that is, initially learners may display a high level of
accuracy only to apparently regress later before finally once again performing in accordance with
target-language norms.
Methods for investigating developmental patterns
There are number of different ways in which researchers can set about trying to identify
developmental patterns. One way is to examine whether learners' errors change over time. One
common method for identifying and describing developmental patterns is obligatory occasion
analysis. First, samples of naturally occurring learner language are collected. Second, obligatory
occasions for the use of specific TL features are identified in the data. Third, the percentage of
accurate use of the feature is then calculated by establishing whether the feature in question has been
supplied in all the contexts in which it is required.

Developmental patterns in second language acquisition

The early stages
1. The silent period
Children go through lengthy period of listen to people talk to them before they produce their first
words. The silent period is necessary, for the young child needs to discover what language is and what
it does. One possibility is that the silent period provides learners with opportunities to prepare
themselves for social use of the L2 by means of private speech, which they engage in while they are
'silent'.

2. Formulaic speech
Formulaic speech consists of expression' which are learnt as unanalysable wholes and employed
on particular occasions. Formulaic speech has been observed to be very common in L2 acquisition,
particularly in the early stages. It figures frequently in the speech of all learners, irrespective of their
age. It is possible, therefore, that formulas are slowly unpackaged, releasing valuable information,
which is fed into the knowledge system the learner uses to produce and understand creative speech.

3. Structural and semantic simplification

In comparison with formulaic speech, the learner's early creative utterances are typically
truncated, consisting of just one or two words, with both grammatical functors and content words
missing. There is some evidence to suggest that learners, particularly children, tend to begin speaking
first in single-word utterances and then in increasingly longer utterances, many of which are novel.

4. The acquisition of morpheme: order and sequence

The morpheme studies
Morpheme studies were carried out to investigate the order of acquisition of grammatical functors
such as articles and inflectional features such as plural -s.
The acquisition of individual morphemes: pronoun
A close look at individual morphemes shows that they are acquired gradually and systemically.
Learners do not progress from a state of non-acquisition to a state of acquisition, but rather pass
through a series of stages. In the pronoun system of language, a number of systematic distinctions are
to be found.

5. The acquisition of syntactic structures

The acquisition of negatives in English and German
Negation is an example of a transitional structure. That is, it involves a series of forms or
structures which learners use en route to mastering the TL for. These interim forns are indicative of
the developmental stages that learners pass through on the way to TL competence.
Initially, negative utterances are characterized by external negation. That is, the negative particle
(usually 'no' but sometimes not') is attached to a declarative nucleus.

3. Variability in Learner Language

Variability in learner language in SLA refers to the differences in the way learners of a second
language (SLA) use and develop the linguistics structures, vocabulary, and grammatical rules of their
target language to communicate effectively. Researchers examined why leareners sometimes produce
the L2 (target language) correctlty, and sometimes incorrectly. This concept is important in
understanding the dynamic nature of second language acquisition and the various factors that
influence the development of linguistic competence.

Types of Variability in learner language, including:

1. Vertical Variability: This refers to the changing pattern of the learner's interlanguage system
over time. It highlights the dynamic nature of the learner's language development process,
where learners adapt and modify their language use as they progress through the stages of
SLA.

2. Horizontal Variability: This type of variability is characterized by the differences in learner

language within a specific stage of development. It is evident in the use of multiple linguistic
variants to express a phenomenon that has only one realization in the target language,
influenced by factors such as the learner's native language, the target language, and the
context in which the language is being used.

The Factors influencing Variability

There are several factors that influence the variability, for example :

1. Social and Psychological Factors

These can affect the learner's readiness to learn and the strategies they use to communicate
effectively in their L2.

2. Context
The context in which the language is being used can also influence the variability in learner
language.

3. Learner Background
The learner's background, including their native language, learning style, and abilities, can
also impact the variability in their language use.
 Theories and Models

Several theories and models have been proposed to explain the variability in learner language,
including:

1. Labovian Paradigm
This paradigm claims that variability in learner language does not occur randomly but is
focused on the shape and identity of social identity, historical position, and stylistic level. It
emphasizes the importance of speech styles and variable rules.

Labov (1991) states that there are two factors responsible for learner language variation :

1. Social factors involving inter-speaker variation

- Social class
- Ethnicity
- Age
- Gender
2. Stylistic factors involving intra-speaker variation
- Social context/style
- Amount of attention paid to speak

2. Dynamic Paradigm
This paradigm assumes that a language variety is systemic, but also dynamic, and the
variation is the precursor of change. It offers a way of exploring how changes in form-function
mappings occur over time.

3. Gradual Diffusion Model

This model proposes two broad stages of L2 development, where learners progress from a
more systematic to a more variable use of language.
 Initial Stage
In this stage, learners focus on the most salient features of the target language, such as
phonology and vocabulary, and use these features to construct a basic interlanguage
system. This stage is characterized by a high degree of variability in learner language, as
learners experiment with different linguistic forms to communicate effectively.
 Advanced Stage
In this stage, learners refine their interlanguage system by incorporating more complex
linguistic structures and rules. This stage is characterized by a decrease in variability as
learners become more proficient in using the target language and its rules.

4. Capability Continuum Paradigm

This paradigm assumes that the context and language tasks can affect variation in the
interlanguage process.

5. Variable Rules
These rules have been used to describe the extent of the systematic variation that occurs in
relation to situational factors, such as the use of zero copula in Black English Vernacular (BEV).
 Question :

1. What is the significance of identifying errors in the speech of L2 learners?

2. What is the distinction between errors and mistakes in the acquisition of the English
language?
4. Please provide an illustrative example of the application of the four stages in error analysis for
L2 learners!
5. What is the meaning of developmental pattern in the nature of learners language?
6. What is the sequences in first stage of developmental pattern?
7. Please mention the kind of developmental pattern?
8. What is Variablity in learner language?
9. Please mention 2 types of language variability!
10. Mention the factors that can influence variability!
References