The-significance-of-learners’-errors

Thesignificanceoflearners’errorsS.P.CorderErroranalysisinlanguageteachingInlanguageteaching,erroranalysisstudiesthetypesandcausesoflanguageerrors.Errorsareclassified[3]accordingto:1.modality(i.e.,levelofproficiencyinspeaking,writing,reading,listening)linguisticlevels(i.e.,pronunciation,grammar,vocabulary,style)form(e.g.,omission,insertion,substitution)type(systematicerrors/errorsincompetencevs.occasionalerrors/errorsinperformance)cause(e.g.,interference,interlanguage)normvs.systemErrorAnalysisErrorsinSLA•Standardworksontheteachingofmodernlanguages–dismissedlearners’errorsasamatterofnoparticularimportance,aspossibleannoying,distracting,butinevitableby-productsoftheprocessoflearningalanguageaboutwhichtheteachershouldmakeaslittlefussaspossibleErrorsinSLA/2•Theapplicationoflinguisticandpsychologicaltheorytothestudyoflanguagelearning–addedanewdimensiontothediscussionoferrors:principledmeansforaccountingfortheerrors→interference(fromthehabitsoftheL1)ErrorsinSLA/3•Themajorcontributionofthelinguisttolanguageteaching?–intensiveCA→aninventoryoftheareasofdifficultywhichthelearnerwouldencounter:todirecttheteacher’sattentiontotheseareas•Teachers–havenotalwaysbeenimpressedbythiscontributionfromthelinguist–theirpracticalexperiencehasusuallyalreadyshownthemwherethesedifficultieslieErrorsinSLA/4–notede.g.thatmanyoftheerrorswithwhichtheywerefamiliarwerenotpredictedbythelinguistanyway–havebeenmoreconcernedwithhowtodealwiththeseareasofdifficultyTwoSchools•School1–errors:merelyasignofthepresentinadequacyofourteachingtechniques→ifweweretoachieveaperfectteachingmethodtheerrorswouldneverbecommitted•School2–errorswillalwaysoccurinspiteofourbestefforts→weshouldconcentrateontechniquesfordealingwitherrorsaftertheyhaveoccurredTwoSchools/2•Bothschoolsarecompatiblewiththesametheoreticalstandpointaboutlanguageandlanguagelearning–psychologicallybehaviorist&linguisticallytaxonomic→audiolingualorfundamentalskillsmethodoflanguageteachingAnewlineofthinking•Toshifttheemphasisawayfromapreoccupationwithteachingtowardsastudyoflearning–thequestionofwhetherthereareanyparallelsbetweentheprocessesofacquiringthemothertongueandthelearningofSL–thelattermaybenefitfromastudyoftheformerL1Avs.L2A•L1A–inevitable–apartofthewholematurationalprocessofthechild–startswithnoovertlanguagebehavior–motivation?L1Avs.L2A/2•L2A–noinevitability–normallybeginsafterthematurationalprocessislargelycomplete–startswithovertlanguagebehavior–motivationL1Avs.L2A/3•Theobviousdifferences(betweenL1AandL2A)implynothingabouttheprocessesthetakeplaceinlearningofL1andL2–themostwidespreadhypothesisabouthowlanguagesarelearned(=behaviorist)isassumedtoapplyinbothcircumstances–newhypothesesarebeingsetuptoaccountfortheprocessofL1A→howfarmighttheyapplytoSLA?L1Avs.L2A/4•Thenewresearchcontext–Ahumaninfantisbornwithaninnatepredispositiontoacquirelanguage→constructagrammarofaparticularlanguagefromthelimiteddata:How?largelyunknown–thefieldofintensivestudyatthepresenttimebylinguistsandpsychologists–thefirststeps:alongitudinaldescriptionofachild’slanguagethroughoutthecourseofitsdevelopments→apictureoftheL1AprocedureL1Avs.L2A/5•TheapplicationofthenewhypothesistoL2A–notnew:theadultwasseenascapableasthechildofacquiringaforeignlanguage–recentwork:suggestscriticalperiodforLA•Itstillremainstobeshown–thattheprocessoflearningaL2isofafundamentallydifferentnaturefromtheprocessofL1AL1Avs.L2A/5•Aworkinghypothesis–L1Astrategies=L2Astrategies(givenmotivation,itisinevitablethatahumanbeingwilllearnaL2)–theabovehypothesisdoesnotimplythatthecourseorsequenceoflearningisthesameinbothcasesErrorsreconsidered•Children’s‘incorrect’utterances–importantevidenceconcerningL1Aprocesses•L2learners’errors–evidenceofthebuilt-insyllabus(adefinitesystemoflanguageateverypointinthecoursedevelopment)oftheL2learners–inputofferedbyteachers(classroomsyllabus)vs.intakebyL2learnersErrorsreconsidered/2•Systematicvs.non-systematicerrors–systematicerrors=‘errors’→contributetoreconstructthelearners’transitionalcompetence–non-systematicerrors=‘mistakes’:memorylapses,physicalstates(tiredness),psychologicalconditions(strongemotion):performancelimitations•Howtodistinguishbetweenthetwoerrortypes?–notsoeasyAdemonstrationA:DidBillyhavehiseggcutupforhimatbreakfast?B:Yes,Ishowedshim.A:Youwhat?B:Ishowedhim.A:Youshowedhim?B:IseedhimA:Ah,yousawhim.B:Yes,IsawhimConclusion•Inthelightofthenewhypotheseserrorsarebestnotregardedasthepersistenceofoldhabits,butratherassignsthatthelearnerisinvestigatingthesystemsofthenewlanguage.Errorsreconsidered/3•Errorsaresignificantin3differentways–Totheteacher:showhowfartowardsthegoalthelearnerhasprogressedandwhatremainsforhimtolearn–Totheresearcher:provideevidenceofhowlanguageislearned,whatstrategiesorproceduresthelearnerisemploying–Tothelearnerhimself:awaythelearnerhasoftestinghishypothesesaboutthenatureofthelanguageheislearning