InterlanguageTheoryandEnglishTeaching

1Interlanguage and fossilizationThe term interlanguage was first used by Larry Selinker (1972).It is defined as the systematic knowledge of language that is independent of both the learner’s L1and the L2sys-tem he or she is trying to acquire.It is a unique linguistic system because it is neither L1nor L2but at the same time bears resemblances to both.Selinker(1972)coins the term"interlanguage"to refer to the systematic knowledge of a L2which is independent of both the learner’s Ll and the target language.The term has come to be used with different but related meanings:(1)the series of interlocking systems which characterize acquisition,(2)the system that is observed at a single stage of development(an interlan-guage)，and(3)particular L1/L2combinations(for example, L1Chinese/L,2English).Nemser(1971)and Corder(1976)also initially refer to the same basic idea as“approximative system”and“transitional competence”respectively.As we have noticed,group of learners with similar lan-guage backgrounds and language learning experiences have temporarily similar systems;similarly,learners isolated from na-tive speakers of the language tend to develop fossilized systems or pidgins.According to Selinker(1972),about ninety-five per-cent of learners can't eventually reach the level of normal tar-get language.That is to say,the majority of them can't drive their interlanguage to the terminal of the continuum.This phe-nomenon of the inflexible period of interlanguage is called fos-silization.As Selinker(1972)puts it:fossilized linguistic phe-nomena are linguistic items,rules and subsystems which speak-ers of a particular NL will tend to keep in their interlanguage relative to a particular target language,no matter what the age of the learner is or amount of explanation and instruction he receives in the target language.2The processes of interlanguage fossilization2.1Language transferLanguage transfer refers to the influence of native lan-guage to the process of interlanguage.There are both positive transfer and negative transfer.Positive transfer occurs in condi-tions where the leaner’s L1is similar to L2,and thus,the learning of the L2is aided by L1.Negative transfer which disrupts one’s performance on the L2task,is also known as interference because some of the learner’s previous learning experience interferes with the linguistic items he is currently learning.2.2OvergeneralizationOvergeneralization refers to the overgeneralization of the target language rules and semantic features.2.3Transfer of trainingTransfer of training is a process which is quite different from language transfer and overgeneralization of TL rules.It refers to the situation in which an erroneous rule enters the learner’s system as a result to instruction.The fossilization cause of training is prevalent in remote and poor areas.Be-cause of the lack of language lab equipments and informally trained teachers,the beginners have to imitate the incorrect pronunciation of their teachers.After several years of imitation, they are difficult to change their fossilized pronunciation.In addition,the fact that teaching material adopts non-standard language form also leads to fossilization.2.4Learning strategiesAmong learning strategies,simplification of target language is the most pervasive phenomenon,which is mainly displayed on the syntactic level.Learners always try to reduce the TL to a simple system.They may avoid grammatical formatives,such as articles,plural forms and past tense forms.Though the sim-ple sentence structures do not hinder communication,learner language indeed loses its characteristics of diversified forms. This fact makes learners unable to use target language cre-atively and freely.Because of the realization of communication, learners will no longer pay attention to the improvement of language competence or ever stop learning.2.5Communication strategiesQuite a few language learners who communicate with na-tive speakers realize that some errors don’t hinder their ex-pression of ideas,so they are misled to hold the opinion that it’s unnecessary to further develop interlanguage so long as it doesn’t affect communication.This situation can easily result in fossilization of interlanguage when learner receives active af-fective feedback.Another type of learner will form affective obstacles once they are criticized or negatively evaluated for their errors.Such a brief evaluation will easily extinguish the learner's confidence,malting them give it up and form the fos-silization of some wrong pronunciations.3Suggestions on English teaching3.1Reducing the interference of mother languageIt is impossible to avoid the issue of transfer when we discuss fossilization.The interference of mother language called negative transfer is a main cause of fossilization.When the knowledge of target language is not enough for learners to ex-press their ideas,they will surely resort to mother language. Both interlingual error and Chinglish are the results of interfer-ence of mother language.The fossilization caused by mother language is mainly re-flected by this kind of Chinglish.That is to say,though the sentences are understandable,they are grammatically wrong, letting alone be standard English.Because beginners of learn-ing have limited knowledge of target language,transfer of moth-er language to learner's interlanguage is particularly prominent.So in daily English teaching environment,teachers need to encourage learners to speak more often and more native-like. Facing such shouldn't find fault of learners,but rather errors teachers them of errors or provide native expressions to them for comparison.But the most optimum approach is to restrictInterlanguage Theory and English Teaching周雅娴（华中师范大学英语系，湖北美术学院公共课部湖北武汉430060）Abstract：Interlanguage，which functions as a relatively systematic transition from initial knowledge of a language to native proficiency during the process of language acquisition，is always regarded as an unstable set of language characteristics produced by learners.Its fossilization is a universal phenomenon in SLA and it derives from multiple factors.Through the research into interlanguage and its fossilization，we should hold a totally different view from traditional one on the nature and function of teacher's training,teaching materials and the handling of the learners’errors,etc.Key words：interlanguage;fossilization;English teaching;SLA中图分类号：H319文献标识码:A文章编号：1672-1578（2009)7-0019-0219--learners'Chinese thinking model in English speaking environ-ment,and to cultivate their English thinking model,attaining positive transfer.Learners need to improve their thinking man-ner in English,forming a kind of English regular psychological tendency.In English teaching,teachers should make full use of this tendency,conducting learners to achieve positive transfer of knowledge and competence.When learners acquire their mother language,thinking and language interact with each oth-er,inducing easily positive transfer;but to acquire English based on mother language,learners have to undergo a process of psychological translation.To think in English,learners must hold psychologically a relation between English word,phrase, sentence and their concepts.So teachers should make use of slide,record,play-showing,teaching aid,question and answer etc.to stimulate learners'psychological analysis,increasing sen-sitive faculty and promoting positive English thinking manner. Once establishing a contact between entity and language, learners may avoid the psychological translation,and associate language and concept,easily inducing positive transfer.In addi-tion,teachers need to offer learners effective input,improving their English sense.3.2Deal with learner's errors properlyIn daily English teaching,some errors that are unable to be eliminated by learners themselves will be retained in their interlanguage if teachers don't correct them.It is of no avail to correct the errors some times even though learners have known the correct usage.Some errors are produced because of learn-ers'decrease of monitoring ability when they focus their atten-tion on the expression of meaning.It is not the case that learners don't understand these grammatical rules,but it is on-ly because they have not formed the habit of spontaneous ap-plication in spoken English,such as the fact that the error“It is how big"will be gradually improved by learners through much practice.If learners focus their attention on the expres-sion of meanings for communication,teachers shouldn't inter-rupt them.However,in the end teachers may point out some typical or universal problems by using appropriate evaluation or by touching on the problems lightly.Substantially speaking, teachers should correct the errors that are made in learners' initial stage,and it will not decrease learners'enthusiasm but rather will strengthen their self-confidence.When learners are in advanced stage,they benefit little from teachers'corrections because their errors are almost fossilized.So in the initial stage,teachers should try to take into account both accuracy and fluency of learner language.3.3Improve teachers’proficiency and the quality of teaching materialTeachers need not only to improve their proficiency in English but also to master some information of teaching meth-ods.There are two roles of teachers:one is to explain lexical and grammatical knowledge for students;another is to provide learners with optimal input.Most teachers pay little attention to the second role,so they don't know what kind of input can improve learners'acquisition and what kind of method is effi-cient to introduce the material of target language.The main problems of teaching materials in China are dis-played in three aspects:obsolete language form and content, confusion between written and spoken language,and misuse of British English and American English.There is great difference between British English and American British in some aspects, such as the usage of definite articles and some certain prepo-sitions.Learners will make such kind of errors that are diffi-cult to eliminate when they don't notice these differences.This is what Selinker calls the fossilization caused by training trans-fer.In addition,teaching materials must be authentic.The so-called"authentic"refers to the fact that the selective materials must be actual conversations among native speakers or articles written by natives,but not those written for teaching a certaingrammatical phenomenon or sentence patterns.Some teachers may think that all the original editions of textbooks are actual language input,but it is not the case.Some original editions of textbooks are written only for learners to grasp some certain sentence patterns,ignoring authenticity.3.4Making full use of affective factorsLearners tend to attain strongest interest at the beginning period of learning,while it decreases after quite a long time.So we should not let go the good chance of initial stage of foreign language learning.In the initial stage of learning,we find that learners are usually in a state of hunger,but teachers always adopt circuitous strategies,as asking learners to do many pattern drills with low quality.This kind of teaching,oc-cupying a great deal of time,not only gains little but also obliterates learner's enthusiasm and interest.Actually we shouldn't blame the teachers because teaching materials are ar-ranged in the order of a step-by-step process.These kinds of teaching material to some degree prevent learners not only from inputting target language with large quantity but also from forming cognitive habit and fostering linguistic sense.It also prolongs initial stage of learning and makes a great discount of learners'interest.Once learners'interest decreases or even disappears,they will refuse to go on with target language and fossilize their interlanguage unconsciously.So this suggests that we should regulate and utilize teaching materials at hand flexi-bly to keep learners'interest and increase the intensity and proficiency of language input.As to affective factors,another key issue is to dissolve af-fective obstacles.The larger the affective obstacles,the less learners'acquisition competence,so teachers play an important part in creating positively affective background and environ-ment.Self-confidence is the important factor to promote learn-ing,so it is crucial for teachers to create a good and relaxed classroom environment,reducing learners'worry.Teachers'en-couragement can effectively dissolve learners'affective obsta-cles.In learners'learning process,internal drive is closely re-lated to target;no internal drive,no target,and vice versa.So if learners possess definite motives,they will never drawback before difficulties and accept input actively.The formation of affective obstacles is somewhat subject to learner;'personality and social interaction;so what teachers need to do is not only to teach language knowledge,but also to help learners improve their own ideological qualities and their relations with others, and to create an optimum learning environment.4ConclusionWe draw a conclusion that the process of interlanguage improvement is the progress of SLA,and the elimination of fos-silization indicates the success of SLA.Seen from the perspec-tive of perspective of cognitive psychology,English learning is an extremely complicated psychological process that is restrict-ed by various factors.The research into interlanguage and its fossilization can only from one facet reflect the process of Eng-lish learning,and to reach a great achievement in English learning in China,we have to research further other factors which affect English acquisition,such as personality and socio-cultural factors.Reference:[1]Adjemian,C.On the nature of interlanguage systems[J].Lan-guage learning，1976,26:297-320.[2]Nemser,W.Approximative systems of foreign Language Lin-guistics IRAL一International Review of Applied Linguistics[J].1971,9:115-23[32].作者简介：周雅娴，女，现任湖北美术学院英语教师，助教，华中师范大学英语系研究生在读。