NAME : AMINAH

NIM : 18178001
CLASS : A

INTERLANGUAGE AND THE ‘NATURAL’ ROUTE OF DEVELOPMENT

Interlanguage is a language system to learn a language which separate the first language
(L1) and the target language (L2) or we can say that interlanguage is the L3. It made by the learner
to make them easy in learning. It need a long time be able communicate as native speaker of L2.
By time flies, the learner will get input that will change their L3. Therefore, there are many steps
of development passed by the learners in comprehending the structured form in L2. Interlanguage
is like the language learner’s journey from his native language (L1) to acquisition of the target
language (L2).
According to Selinker, who is credited with first proposing the interlanguage theory, was
inspired by Corder’s error analysis which attempted to examine and classify the errors of language
learners. Interlanguage theory tried to determine if there was a continuum in the internal grammar
of learning additional languages, and through research, resolve if learners acquired L2 in much of
the same fashion as L1. Ultimately, there would be similarities, but not the same.
There has been a wide range of research investigating interlanguage with various levels,
ages, and languages. The results have led to understanding interlanguage as embodying the
characteristics of being systematic, dynamic, and variable.
 Systematic/ Permeable : the learner forms an internal construct of grammatical rules and
structures. These grammatical rules may or may not mirror the proper rules of the L2 being
learned. Educators can extrapolate what rules the learner has formed through analyzing
errors and the correct usage of the language. In other words, the language learner doesn’t
use language haphazardly, but uses a system of internal rules that can differ from the target
language.
 Dynamic: Although the internal rules are systematic, the rules are not static and have the
ability to be altered through various means.
It found by Fauziati and Maftuhin that the learner has their own grammatical
system, an interlanguage, to express present, past, and future events. Their interlanguage
system was characterised by particular patterns unique to the students. The students’
interlanguage system was also featured by variability, versions of language construction
 which was more or less target like variants. It appeared that the students possessed two or
more forms of verb tense systems to indicate present, past, and future events. These non-
target language variants were the representation of their current knowledge of English.
 Variable: The context may determine the language and rules the learner acquires. There
are some factors involved with language and rule acquisition that vary from person to
person, such as the nature of input (instruction, TV, etc), the environment (classroom, etc),
and exposure (foreign language, second language, etc) to language.
In short, the common issues which concern in interlanguage is the learner difficult
to understand the target language. However, interlanguage is there for them to help them
to reduce the problem that will be influences by their own native language, the input of
target language that have been learning also their metalinguistic knowledge.

References
Ellis, Rod. 1985. Understanding Second Language Acquisition. New York: Oxford University
Press

Fauziati, Endang & Muamaroh Maftuhin. 2016. Interlanguage Verb Tense Systems of Indonesian
EFL Learners. Indonesia : American Research Institute for Policy Development