UGandSLA.pptVIP

Linguistic universals and second language acquisition Linguistic basis for second language acquisition Access to Universal Grammar Linguistic basis for SLA Contrastive analysis (pre-Chomskyan structuralism) Universals and contrastive analysis Universals and SLA Contrastive analysis The language learner does not start with a fabula rasa. As studies over the past thirty years have shown, even the acquisition of the first language presupposes some degree of preprogramming or innate language-specific capacity, represent able as a hypothesized universal grammar. Contrastive analysis worked in a structural model; it assumed (before Chomsky) a kind of competence model in which one set of knowledge ( the learner’s first language) came into contact through the learning process with a second set of knowledge ( the target language). Where the two structures matched, learning was easy; where the y differed ( in form or use), a difficulty arose that needed to be overcome. The principle may be stated in a general language distance condition. Language distance condition: the closer two languages are to each other genetically and typologically, the quicker a speaker of one will learn the other. This general condition assumes two specific conditions, as follows: Shared feature condition: when two languages share a feature, learning is facilitated. Contrastive feature condition: differences between two languages interfere when speakers of one set out to learn the other. Universals and contrastive analysis Eckman’s view may be interpreted as a proposal to add to the shared feature condition and the contrastive feature condition a codification that applies to contrastive features: Markedness differential condition: marked features are more difficult to learn than unmarked. Definitions: Contrastive analysis: ~ is a set of procedures for comparing and contrasting the linguistic systems of two languages in order to identify their structural similarities and differences.