Name: ___________________________________ Course and Year:_________________________________

Subject: ENGLISH ____ - ________________________________________ Submitted to Mrs. Cristina G. Juarez

College of Teacher Education, Central Philippines State University

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Chapter 3
Interlanguage

Interlanguage

Interlanguage Interlanguage as explained by Interlanguage as Interlaguage as a

Defined the Behavioristlearning Theory explained by the metaphor of the computer
Mentalistlearning Theory

The term ‘interlanguage’ was coined by the The dominant psychological theory of the In the 1960s and 1970s a mentalist
American linguist, Larry Selinker, in recognition of 1950s and 1960s was behaviorist learning theory of first language L1
the fact that L2 learners construct a linguistic theory. According to this theory, language acquisition emerged. According to
system that draws, in part, on the learners L1 but is learning is like any other kind of learning in this theory:
also different from it and also from the target that it involves habit formation. Habits are 1. Only human beings are
language. A learners’ interlanguage is, therefore, a formed when the learners respond to stimuli capable of learning
unique linguistic system. in the environment and subsequently have language.
The systematic development of learner language
their responses reinforced so that they rare 2. The human mind is
reflects a mental system of L2 knowledge. The
remembered. Thus, a habit is a stimulus- equipped with a faculty for
concept of interlanguage constitutes one of the first
attempts to explain L2 acquisition by answering response connection. learning language, referred
questions such as ‘What is the nature of linguistic to as a Language
representations of the L2 that learners form?’ and Acquisition Device. This is
‘How do these representations change over time?’ separate from the faculties
responsible for other kinds
of cognitive activity.
3. This faculty is the primary
determinant of language
acquisition.
4. Input is needed, but only
Name: ___________________________________ Course and Year:_________________________________
Subject: ENGLISH ____ - ________________________________________ Submitted to Mrs. Cristina G. Juarez
College of Teacher Education, Central Philippines State University

============================================================================================================================

to ‘trigger the operation of

the language acquisition
device.