The NATURE OF LEARNER LANGUAGE

1. The NATURE OF LEARNER LANGUAGE Ellis, Rod. 2003. Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press Yosef Luman Christy SS (2201410065) Introduction to Second Language Acquisition Semarang State University 2012

2. Error & error analysis Developmental Patterns Variability in Learner language The main way of investigating L2 acquisition is by collecting and describing samples of leaners Focus on the kinds of errors learners make and how these errors change over time

3. Error & error analysis Developmental Patterns Variability in Learner language Explore the universally of L2 acquisition by examining the developmental pattern leaners follow.

4. Error & error analysis Developmental Patterns Variability in Learner language • The leaner language is systematic. • It is aparticular stage of development • Learners sometimes employ • language form and sometimes • another.

5. Error & error analysis Developmental Patterns Variability in Learner language Leaners vary in their use of the L2 according to; • Linguistic Context • In one context they use one form while in • other contexts they use alternate forms. • Situasional Context • Learners use the correct target-language • forms in formal context and non-target • forms in informal context. • psycholinguistic context

6. Error & error analysis Developmental Patterns Variability in Learner language • Variability in leaner language is clearly not • just random. • Leaners have access to two or more • linguistic forms for realizing a single • grammatical structure but not employ • arbitrary. • The choice is detemined by variety of • factors; linguistic contect, the situasional • context, and the availability of planning • time.

7. Identifying errorrs Describing Errors Explaining Errors Error Evaluation • Good reasons for focusing on error: • They are a conspicuous feature of leaner • language • It is usefull for teachers to know what errors • leaners make • Help leaners to learn when they self-correct • the errors they make

8. Identifying errorrs Describing Errors Explaining Errors Error Evaluation • Compare the sentences leaners produce • with what seem to be the normal or correct • sentences in the target language. • Need to distinguish errors and mistakes. • Errors → because the learner does • not know what is correct (gaps in learner’s • knowledge reflection). • Mistakes → the learners unable to • perform what they know ( occasional lapses • in performance reflection).

9. Identifying errorrs Describing Errors Explaining Errors Error Evaluation • How can we distinguish errors and mistakes? • Check the consistency of leaners’ • performance • Try to correct leaners’ own deviant • utterances.

10. Identifying errorrs Describing Errors Explaining Errors Error Evaluation How we can describe and classify all the errors: Classify errors into gramatical categories Identify general ways in which the leaner’s utterances differ from the reconstructed target language utterances. Ommision (leaving out an item that is requred for an utterance to be considered grammatical)

11. Identifying errorrs Describing Errors Explaining Errors Error Evaluation Explaining Errors • Some errors are common only to leaners • who share the same mother tongue or • whose mother tongue manifest the same • linguistic property. • Example Speaker of Bantu Languages in • Southern Africa frequently use the • preposition ‘at’ to refer to direction as well • as location. • “we went at Johannesburg last weekend.” • (Bantu languages employ a single preposition ‘at’)

12. Identifying errorrs Describing Errors Explaining Errors Error Evaluation Errors Types • Omission Errors • e.g They leave out the article ‘a’ and ‘the’ • and leave the –s plural nouns. • An overgeneralization Errors • e. g the use of ‘eated’ in place of ‘ate’ • Transfer Errors • leaners’s attempts to make use of their L1 • language (Leaners create their own rules).

13. Identifying errorrs Describing Errors Explaining Errors Error Evaluation Error Evaluation • Global Errors • Violate overall structure of a sentence and • for this reason may make it difficult to • process. • e. g The policeman was in this corner • whistle... • Local Errors • affect only a single constituent in the • sentence.

14. The early stages Of L2 acquisition The order of acquisition Sequence of acquisition Some implication How a language is learned: • A silent period • They learn a lot about language just • through listening to or reading it. • Acquisition Order • Leaners begin to learn the grammar of the • L2. • The sequence of acquisition • Leaners learn particular grammatical • structure, such as past tense.

15. The early stages Of L2 acquisition The order of acquisition Sequence of acquisition Some implication To investigate the order of Acquisition; • Choose a number of grammatical • structures to study. • Collect samples of learner language. • Identify how accurately each feature is • used by different leaners.

16. The early stages Of L2 acquisition The order of acquisition Sequence of acquisition Some implication Sequence of acquisition: • Transitional construction • U-shaped course of development • Restructuring

17. The early stages Of L2 acquisition The order of acquisition Sequence of acquisition Some implication Some implication • Some linguistic features (particularly • grammatical) are inherently easier to learn • than others. • Example learners master plural –s before • third person –s • So, it has implication for both SLA theory\ • and for language teaching.

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