HS: Language and the Mind
Prof. R. Hickey
SS 2006
First and Second Language Acquisition
Tatiana Prozorova (HS/TN)
Irina Novikava (HS/TN)
Alexandra Wolek (HS/LN)
Vanessa Hollands (HS/LN)
Verena Scheulen (HS/LN)
Nadiya Sowa (HS/LN)
Kirsten Leicht (HS/TN)
Overview
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Instruction and Second Language Acquisition
Variation in Child Language
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Social and Discourse Aspects of
Interlanguage
Psycholinguistic Aspects of Interlanguage
Contrastive Linguistics
Instruction and Second Language
Acquisition
Tatiana Prozorova
Irina Novikava
Structure
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main theories dealing with instruction in L2 acquisition
effectiveness of instruction
key principles for an effective instruction
instructions appropriate to each acquisition stage
ten things the teacher can do to improve instruction for
ELL students
Introduction
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Grammar Translation Method
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Audiolingual Method
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non-communicative approach that relies on reading and translation,
mastery of grammatical rules and accurate writing
non-communicative approach that involves heavy use of mimicry,
imitations and drill. Speech, not writing is emphasised
Communicative Language Teaching
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is based on the assumption that learners do not need to be taught
grammar before they can communicate but will acquire it naturally
as part of the process of learning to communicate
Basic theories of L2 acquisition
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"Comprehensible Input" hypothesis (by Stephen Krashen)
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"Comprehensible Output" hypothesis (by Merrill Swain and others)
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learners acquire language by "intaking" and understanding language that
is a "little beyond" their current level of competence
providing learners with opportunities to use the language and skills they
have acquired, at a level in which they are competent, is almost as
important as giving students the appropriate level of input
Affective Filter hypothesis (by Krashen and Terrell)
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individual’s emotions can directly assist in the learning of a new language
Basic theories of L2 acquisition
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Basic interpersonal communications skills (BICS) and
cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP)
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Context-embedded communication
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Context-reduced communication
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provides fewer communicative clues to support understanding
Cognitively undemanding communication
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provides several communicative supports to the listener or
reader(objects, gestures, vocal inflections)
requires a minimal amount of abstract or critical thinking
Cognitively demanding communication
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requires a learner to analyze and synthesize information quickly
and contains abstract or specialized concepts
Four key principles for an effective
instruction
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Increase Comprehensibility
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Increase Interaction
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language skills are used in real-life situations
Increase Thinking/Study Skills
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involves the ways in which teachers can make content more
understandable to their students
advanced thinking skills are developed
Use a student’s native language to increase
comprehensibility
Examples of Instructional Strategies
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Silent/ Receptive Stage I
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Use of visual aids and gestures
Slow speech emphasizing key words
Do not force oral production
Write key words on the board with students copying them as they are
presented
Use pictures and manipulatives to help illustrate concepts
Use multimedia language role models
Use interactive dialogue journals
Encourage choral readings
Use Total Physical Response (TPR) techniques
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Examples of Instructional Strategies
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Early Production Stage II
Engage students in charades and linguistic guessing games
Do role-playing activities
Present open-ended sentences
Promote open dialogues
Conduct student interviews with the guidelines written out
Use charts, tables, graphs, and other conceptual visuals
Use newspaper ads and other mainstream materials to encourage
language interaction
Encourage partner and trio readings
Examples of Instructional Strategies
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Speech Emergence Stage III
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Conduct group discussions
Use skits for dramatic interaction
Have student fill out forms and applications
Assign writing compositions
Have students write descriptions of visuals and props
Use music, TV, and radio with class activities
Show filmstrips and videos with cooperative groups scripting the
visuals
Encourage solo readings with interactive comprehension checks
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Examples of Instructional Strategies
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Intermediate /Advanced Proficiency Stages IV & V
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Sponsor student panel discussions on the thematic topics
Have students identify a social issue and defend their position
Promote critical analysis and evaluation of pertinent issues
Assign writing tasks that involve writing, rewriting, editing, critiquing
written examples
Encourage critical interpretation of stories, legends, and poetry
Have students design questions, directions, and activities for others to
follow
Encourage appropriate story telling
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Ten Things the Teacher Can Do To
Improve Instruction
1.
2.
3.
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Enunciate clearly, but do not raise your voice. Add gestures, point
directly to objects, or draw pictures when appropriate
Write clearly, legibly, and in print—many ELL students have
difficulty reading cursive
Develop and maintain routines. Use clear and consistent signals for
classroom instructions
Repeat information and review frequently. If a student does not
understand, try rephrasing or paraphrasing in shorter sentences and
simpler syntax. Check often for understanding, but do not ask "Do
you understand?" Instead, have students demonstrate their learning
in order to show comprehension
Ten Things the Teacher Can Do To
Improve Instruction
5.
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Try to avoid idioms and slang words
Present new information in the context of known information
Announce the lesson’s objectives and activities, and list instructions
step-by-step
Present information in a variety of ways
Provide frequent summations of the salient points of a lesson, and
always emphasize key vocabulary words
Recognize student success overtly and frequently. But, also be
aware that in some cultures overt, individual praise is considered
inappropriate and can therefore be embarrassing or confusing to the
student
Conclusion
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The main theories dealing with instructions in L2 acquisition
have been considered
Instruction can be both successful and non-successful
Four key principles for an effective instruction have been
pointed out
Examples of concrete instructions appropriate to each
acquisition stage have been introduced

http://www.nwrel.org/request/2003may/general.html
Rod Ellis Second Language Acquisition. Oxford University Press
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Thank you for your attention!

NEXT PART
Language and the Brain
Prof. R. Hickey
SS 2006
Variation in child language
Aleksandra Wolek (Hauptstudium LN)
Content:
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Characteristics considering first language acquisition
Basic requirements for first language acquisition
Variation in child language
 Variation in rate
 Variation in route
Types of variation
Direct & indirect influences
Summary
Conclusion
Characteristics considering first
language acquisition :
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It is remarkable for its speed
In normal conditions language acquisition generally
occurs
Small differences in a range of social and cultural factors
have, according to various studies, no meaning
Belief that there is some “innate” predisposition of
human child to acquire language exists
TRUTH: each human child posses a language faculty
Basic requirements for first
language acquisition
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Biological aspects must be fulfilled
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This process requires interaction
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Language must be culturally trasmitted
Variation in child language
Variation in rate
 Variation in route
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Types of variation:
Inherited attributes:
Sex, intelligence, personality and learning style
Social background:
Family structure,
cultural
environment, social
group affiliation
Child's linguistic
behaviour
Style of linguistic
interaction: interpersonal
relations etc.
Situation: setting,
activity, number of
participants
Direct & indirect influences
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Indirect influence:
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Social background
Direct influences:
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Inherited attributes
Situation
Style of linguistic interaction
Inherited attributes:
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Sex
no genetic superiority of girls
Intelligence
correlation between language and intelligence
strongly related to environmental variation
Personality and learning style
no strong evidence for such relationship, still
demands researching
Situation:
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Setting
Activity
Number of participants
all factors are very significant
for child's linguistic behaviour
Style of linguistic interaction :
Interpersonal relations
 Parental child-rearing methods
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relationship between experience of
linguistic interaction and patters of
language learning is very complex
and variable
Social background:
Family structure
cultural environment
 social group affiliation
child's linguistic behaviour
depends, for sure, on all these
factors, however, the size and
nature of this variation is unknown
Summary:
Characteristics considering first
language acquisition
 Basic requirements
 Review of the major dimensions of
variation in child's language
behaviour
 Evaluation of significance of these
factors
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Conclusion:
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It is still a “young” discipline
There is a need for further research
There is a need for a theory or theories
integrating all observations and results
References:
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Wells, Gordon , “Variation in child
language”, In: Fletcher, Paul and Garman,
Michael 1997. Language Acquisition.
Cambridge: University Press.
Yule, George 1996. The study of language.
Cambridge: University Press.
THE END!!!
Thank you for your
attention!
Language and the Mind
Prof. R. Hickey
SS 2006
Psychosocial Aspects of Language
Acquisition
Vanessa Hollands (Hs/LN)
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Content
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Introduction
Piaget‘s Theory
Vygotsky‘s Theory
Conclusion
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Introduction
Language acquisition does not take place in a
vacuum. As children acquire language, they
acquire a sign system which bears important
relationships to both cognitive and social
aspects of their life.
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Introduction
Psychosocial aspects of language acquisition are
mainly concerned about how language, thought
and social interaction interrelate in the child‘s
development.
Does social interaction influence the
child’s language acquisition?
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Piaget’s Theory
Piaget focuses on the child’s cognitive
development, which he describes as resulting
from the internalization of the means-ends
organization of the sensorimotor activity
achieved in early development.
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Piaget’s Theory
He sees the children’s use of language as one
among many behavoirs following principles of
organization and mechanisms of development
which are themselves autonomous .
autonomy and causal priority
cognitive development is in principle both
autonomous from language development
and causal prior to it
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Piaget’s Theory
The nature of children’s language at any
particular time is explained as being merely one
of the many symptoms which reflect a
particular stage in their underlying cognitive
structure.
language as one phenomena among others,
which can be explained in biological principles
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Piaget’s Theory
The child’s cognitive development is relatively
autonomous, not only independent from
language, but also from social interaction.
social interaction as secondary
social interaction explained in logicomathematical principles
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Piaget’s Theory
Critique
 Adult-child interaction can affect children’s
reasoning about social or nonsocial objects.
 There are reasoning processes in adult-child
interaction, which cannot be reduced to
individual units.
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Piaget’s Theory
Egocentricity
The child’s egocentricity results from his lack of
decentering. His language, having private
characteristics, is at first not adapted to social
communicative situations. It becomes socialized at a
later point in development as in decentering the child’s
cognitive organization allows him to participate in social
interaction.
child talks about what he does and is not
concerned about being understood
speech does not seem to have a real function
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Vygotsky’s Theory
Vygotsky’s approach to the inter-relations of
language, thought and social interaction is to
view language as a multifunctional and contextdependent system mediating simultaneously
cognitive and social development.
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Vygotsky’s Theory
Vygotsky defines language as primary, contextdependent and social natured.
Language development is the principal motor of
development, as it mediates the child’s participation in
both the intellectual and social life surrounding him.
cognitive development is not independent from
signs
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Vygotsky’s Theory
He sees a constant interaction between
language development and cognitive
development, such that thought is neither
autonomous from language nor causally prior
To it.
The use of a sign system such as language are
necessary for the development of uniquely
higher mental functions.
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Vygotsky’s Theory
The cognitive development is necessary
dependent on the fact that language is
multifunctional:
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It’s a sign system which is simultaneously used for
abstract representation
and for social interactive contexts.
The context-dependent indicatory aspects of
communication in social interaction are primary and
constitute the foundation for the development of
abstract reference-and-predication.
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Vygotsky’s Theory
Zone of proximal development
It can be generally described in terms of the
processes of social interaction between adults
and children which allow children to organize
complex series of actions in problem-solving
situations before they have the mental
capacities to decide on the actions on their
own.
shift from interpsychological to intrapsychological
function
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Vygotsky’s Theory
How does this shift in function take place?
 According to Vygotsky’s principle of semiotic
mediation, there are specifically
communicative processes, and most
importantly the processes that involve
language, which make this shift possible.
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Vygotsky’s Theory
Egocentricity
At first, speech accompanies ongoing actions in
the context of utterance, serving as a means of
social contact with others. At a later point,
when speech has been differentiated it forms a
system which is multifunctional for the adult:
 used externally - social function
 used internally – mental function
change in different functions
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Conclusion
Contrast between Piaget and Vygotsky:
 Whether or not they give language
development a special status in relation to
other aspects of developments
 Whether or not they see language as
inherently social or more precisely as
multifunctional
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Thanks for your attention!
Psychosocial Aspects of Language Acquisition
Literature
 Maya Hickmann, “Psychosocial aspects of
language acquisition”, In: Paul Flether
&Garmen, Language Acqusition,
Language and the Mind
Prof. R. Hickey
SS 06
Social and Discourse
aspects of interlanguage
Verena Scheulen
Hauptstudium LN
Social aspects
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Socio-cultural models seek to explain
Speed of learning
 Ultimate level of proficiency
… in everyday communication
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Accomodation Theory (Giles)
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Convergence  Divergence
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Acculturation model (Schumann)
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Willingness or ability to become part of the new
culture
Social distance
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Speakers indicate cohesiveness or distinctiveness from a
social group
L2 acquisition = long-term convergence
How do the L2 group and the target language group see
each other?
Are they equal?
Does the target language group want the L2 group to
become a part?
Etc.
See also stylistic continuum (Tarone) and Social
Identity (Peirce)
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Social aspects influence
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The opportunity for conversations
The kind of conversations
The commitment to learning the language
Discourse aspects
- the role of input and interaction
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Foreigner talk
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Ungrammatical
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Often implies lack of respect
Certain grammatical features are left out, such as be,
modal verbs (can, must), base forms instead of past
tense, etc.
Grammatical
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Slower pace
Simplified: e.g. shorter sentences, avoidance of
subordinate clauses, no complex grammatical forms,
lengthening of phrases, etc.
Examples:
Baseline talk
Ungrammatical
Foreigner talk
Grammatical
foreigner talk
„You won‘t forget to buy icecream on your way home, will
you?“
„No forget buying ice-cream,
eh?“
„The ice-cream – you will not
forget to buy it on your way
home – get it when you are
coming home. All right?“
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Negotiation of meaning
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Example:
„And then he put it in his knee.“
„He put it on his knee?“
The relevance for L2 learning:
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Foreigner talk = comprehensible input
Negotiation of meaning
 negative evidence
 corrected input
 concerns aspects they have not mastered yet
See also theories by Krashen (Input hypothesis), Long
(interaction hypothesis), Hatch and the ‚activity theory‘
based on Vygotsky
Conclusion
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Social aspects determine
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Extent/kind of contact
Commitment
Discourse aspects may contribute
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Modified input
Negotiation of meaning
References
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Ellis,Rod (1997). Second Language
Acquisition. Oxford: University Press.
Psycholinguistic Aspects of
Interlanguage
Nadiya Sowa (Hauptstudium LN)
Overview
 introduction
 acquisition models
 two types of computational model
 conclusion
 references
Introduction
Psycholinguistics is the study of the mental structures
and processes involved in the acquisition and use of
language.
 L1 transfer
 the role of consciousness
 processing operations
 communication strategies
L1 transfer
 L1 transfer refers to the influence of the learner’s L1 on the acquisition of a L2.
The learner’s L1 is one of the sources of error in learner language, this influence is
called negative transfer
 Nevertheless, in some cases, L1 makes an acquisition of L2 less difficult.
Example: The man whom I spoke to him is a teacher
 positive transfer
 The influence of L1 can also result in avoidance
Example: Chinese and Japanese languages don’t contain relative clauses
Japanese and Chinese learners of English avoid the usage of these structures
 On the other hand, L1 transfer may be reflected in the overuse of some forms
Example: Chinese learners tend to overuse expressions of regret in English,
because of norms of their mother tongue
L1 transfer
 Influence of behaviourism: it was believed that habits of the L1 prevent the learner
from learning the habits of the L2
contrastive analysis
 In the early 1970s behaviourism falls out of favour – two developments
 The first one – some theorists try to play down the role of L1
 The other one (represented by Larry Selinker) – learners don’t construct rules in
vacuum, they work with whatever information is at their disposal. Knowledge of L1 is
included. Selinker identifies language transfer as one of the mental processes
responsible for fossilization
 According to Eric Kellerman, learners are able to distinguish between potentially
transferable and non-transferable features
Example: Hij brak zijn been. (He broke his leg.) Het ondergrondse verset werd gebroken. (The
underground resistance was broken.)
The Role of Consciousness
 Stephen Krashen distinguishes between “acquired” L2
knowledge and “learned”. The first one is developed
subconsciously through comprehending input during the act of
communication, the second one is developed consciously
through deliberate study of the L2
 Richard Schmidt distinguishes between consciousness as
“intentionality” and consciousness as “attention”
 noticing
 awareness
Processing Operations

operating principles
 Avoidance of interruption and rearrangement of linguistic units
 Avoidance of exceptions
Example: My brother made me to give him some money.
 Roger Anderson defines “macro principles”
Example: “no+verb” –negatives to perform statements
“don’t+verb” – negatives to perform commands
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processing constraints
multidimensional model
 developmental axis
Example: Gestern ich gehe ins Kino. (Yesterday I go to the cinema.)
Gestern gehe ich ins Kino. (Yesterday go I to the cinema.)
 variational axis
socio-psychological factors
Communication Strategies
 model of speech production
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a planning phase
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an execution phase
Two Types of Computational Model
 serial procesing (presupposes „rule“ or
„strategy“)
 parallel distributed processing (rejects
the whole notion of „rule“)
Conclusion
 L1 influences the acquisition of L2 (positive
and negative)
 the role of consciousness is one of the most
controversial issues in SLA
 all acquisition models represent more
theoretical material than practical application
and demand further investigation
References
 Ellis,Rod (1997). Second Language
Acquisition. Oxford: University Press.
Thank you for your attention!
Language and the mind
Prof. R. Hickey
SS 2006
Contrastive Linguistics
Kirsten Leicht
TN Hauptstudium
Introduction
What I am going to tell you….
- What is ‘Contrastive Linguistics’?
- Interference
- Differences in special areas:
- Phonology
- Morphology
- Nominal area
- Syntax
- Semantics
- Idioms and Collocations
- Pragmatics
- Conclusion
What is ‘Contrastive Linguistics’?
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it means comparing the structures of two present-day languages
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goal is an immediate desire like improving instruction in one of the
languages examined
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it is:
- synchronically oriented
- not concerned with genetic similarities
- two languages
- bound to a particular linguistic theory
- divided into applied and theoretical sections
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we will focus on the applied sections
Interference
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transferring of structural features of one’s native language when learning a second
language
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positive and negative transfer
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negative transfer is called interference
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four main types of interference:
- substitution: a learner uses an already acquired element for one he does not yet
possess, e.g. [w] for [r] in [wein] rain
- over-and under-differentiation: in early language acquisition clause types are
under-differentiated, as more parataxis than hypotaxis is used; overdifferentiation: use of several different verbs by English speakers of German,
where Germans would just have machen
- Over-indulgence and under-representation: repeated use of structures, words,…;
lack of special structures, words,…
- over-generalisation: e.g. Mama comed home
Contrastive Phonology
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tradition of incorrect pronunciation, e.g. /berlin vs. ber/lin;
pronounced consistently in an incorrect manner
transfer from principle in German to English, although it is
incorrect; e.g. voiced vs. voiceless s after n,l,r – conversation
mixed pronunciation, e.g. Hifi [haifi] vs. [haifai]
allophonic differences, e.g. (ch) in Buch or Pech
contrastive stress
- phenomenon of level stress in English where two or more elements
have equal stress
- e.g. /Second/World/War vs. \Zweiter/Welt\Krieg
/Hong/Kong
/Hong\Kong
- different stress in noun and adjective, e.g. /content (noun) and
con/tent (adjective)
Contrastive morphology
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comparative forms of adjectives: in English: Romanic vs. Germanic, e.g. tall tallertallest vs. terrible-more terrible-most terrible
two cases in English vs. four cases in German
affixation in German vs. Lexicalisation in English: e.g. ver- used as a prefix to
indicate a reversal in meaning, in English different words
mieten-vermieten
rent-let
kaufen-verkaufen
buy-sell
compounding: German favours compounding whereas the English equivalents are
lexicalised or arrived at by paraphrase, e.g.
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snow-sleet vs. Schnee-Schneeregen
cup-saucer vs. Tasse-Untertasse
bissfeste Kartoffeln – crunchy potatoes
ein schmerzarmer Tag – a day with little pain
one should resist to translate piece by piece
Differences in the nominal area
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use of the definite article: not used with abstract terms, only if a
qualifying clause or element follows, e.g.
She is interested in philosophy. vs. The philosophy of Kant.
singular and plural:
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formation of plurals in English, e. g. knife – knives or thief – thieves
formal plurals with singular meaning, e.g. contents – der Inhalt or
means – das/die Mittel
Informationen – information, Verwirrungen – confusion
differences in singular and plural requirements, e.g.
Hose – trousers, Schere – scissors, die Möbel – furniture
prepositional usage: no hard and fast rule,
e.g. on foot – zu Fuss, by train – mit dem Zug
to fill in – ausfüllen
to stand out - auffallen
Contrastive Syntax
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different complement types: complements are parts of a sentence which
follow a verb
e.g. He wants her to sing a song. (infinitive complement)
Er will, dass sie ein Lied singt. (causal complement)
He saw him running away. (participle construction)
Er sah ihn weglaufen. (infinitive complement)
passive constructions: in some passive sentences English allows the
original direct object to remain in its slot and only shifts the indirect object
to subject position.
e.g. They gave him the book.
He was given the book.
i.o.
d.o.
Sie gaben ihm das Buch.
Er wurde das Buch gegeben.
In German this is strictly forbidden.
Contrastive Syntax
-
prepositions:
preposition vs. no preposition
e.g. Er ist Freitag abgereist. – He departed on Friday.
1980 ist er nach München gezogen. – He moved to Munich in
1980.
- prepositional distinctions; e.g. in time: rechtzeitig, on time: zur
rechten Zeit
-
Contrastive Semantics
unusualness of English words: many words are not very common in
everyday usage, e.g. sibling vs. brothers and sisters
- differing range: e.g. Freundin – female friend, girlfriend
- false friends: a word in the native language sounds similar to one in the
foreign language; different meaning
e.g. aktuell
‘topical’
actual
‘tatsächlich’
dumm
‘stupid’
dumb
‘stumm’
Gift
‘poison’
gift
‘Geschenk’
sensibel
‘sensitive’
‘sensible’
‘vernünftig’
- equivalents: one word in German often has more than one equivalent in
English and the other way round, e.g.
glücklich
happy, lucky
seit
for, since
dress
Kleidung, Kleid
go
gehen, fahren
-
Idioms and Collocations
collocation: a sequence of words or terms which co-occur more often than would
be expected
- equivalents can have different collocations: e.g. krönend – crowning
A crowning achievment.
Eine Spitzenleistung
Der krönende Abschluss.The final flourish.
Ein preisgekröntes Buch.
An award-winning book.
A crowning achievment.
Eine Spitzenleistung
Der krönende Abschluss.The final flourish.
Ein preisgekröntes Buch.
An award-winning book.
dictionaries don’t provide enough information on the usage of the words
- idioms:
small number of idioms which are identical, e.g. Too many cooks spoil the
broth.
idioms which are not quite the same, i.e. they are similar in their content,
but slightly different in their form
e.g. Zwei Fliegen mit einer Klappe schlagen
To kill two birds with one stone.
-
Idioms and Collocations
die Daumen drücken
keep your fingers crossed
ganz Ohr sein
to be all ears
Eulen nach Athen tragen
to bring coals to Newcastle
-
rhyme-motivated compounds vs. alliterations
e.g. leagle eagle – Staranwalt
shop till you drop
Stein,…
dream-team,…
Kind und Kegel
über Stock und
Contrastive Pragmatics
-
use of discourse particles, e.g. oder? in German as a discourse
particle is not or? in English
-
third person reference: In England it is regarded as very impolite to
refer to a third person who is present by means of a pronoun. In
German it is quite acceptable.
Conclusion
-
-
in Contrastive Linguistics the structures of two present-day
languages are compared to achieve an immediate aim
in many respects (phonology, morphology, syntax,…) English and
German differ in their structure
-
learners should be constantly aware of these differences to avoid
too much interference
-
teachers should be aware of the danger of interference and should
prevent this by naming the differences and talking about them in
class, so that pupils cannot make up negative transfer on their
own
References
-
-
ELE Multimedia, Version April 2003
Crystal, D. (1997) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language.
Second Edition. Cambridge University Press.
Fisiak, J. (1981) Contrastive Linguistics and the Language
Teacher. Oxford: Pergamon Institute of English.