Interlanguage

and Transfer
By Hind soujaa, Soukaina Faouzi, and
Fatima Hjila
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 02 03 04

What is Causes of Implications to

Interlanguage? Interlanguage Transfer Theory Teaching
Interlanguage theory is generally credited to
Larry

Selinker, an American professor of applied

linguistics

at the University of Michigan. whose article

‘’Interlanguage’’ appeared in the January

1972 issue

of the journal International Review of

Applied

Linguistics in Language Teaching.

 01 What is Interlanguage ?

Land A Land B

Building a bridge
 Definition
 It is the linguistic system evidenced when an adult
second language learner attempts to express
meanings in the language being learned.

 It is a separate linguistic system, clearly different

from both the learner’s native language and the TL
being learned, but linked to both NL and TL by
interlingual identifications in the perception of the
learner.

 Learners create their own specific rules or construct

a systematic language out of L1 and L2 to facilitate
the process of learning.
 Interlanguage is affected by the learner’s native language as they use their native language
to understand and organize the second language or to compensate for existing competency
gaps.
 Interlanguage shows that there is a dormant linguistic knowledge in the human brain that
is activated when one attempts to learn a second language.
 Interlanguage has other names :
1. Corder (1971) calls it idiosyncratic dialect (This dialect is regular, systematic, and meaningful).
2. William Nemser (1971) calls it Approximate system (the learner attempts to approximate L2).
3. J.C Richards gives it the name Transitional competence (transitional competence).

 Interlanguage also explains there is a psycholinguistic difference between child NL

acquisition and adult second language L2 acquisition.
 Selinker (1972) noted that in a given situation, the utterances produced by a learner are
different from those native speakers would produce if they had attempted to convey the
same meaning.
 02 Causes of Interlanguage

Interlanguage development is guided by three basic concepts:

1. Transfer

 refers to speakers or writers applying knowledge from their native language to a

second language.

 Gass and selinker (1983): « transfer of prior linguistic knowledge results IL forms
which, when compared to the target language norms, can termed positive,
negative, or neutral.
2. Overgeneralization

 It is the extension of a rule or a linguistic form to domains where it is not

appropriate.

 Overgeneralized forms tend to drop out with additional exposure to language.

3. Fossilization

 A concept that refers to the end-state of SLA, specifically that is not native-like.

 That point at which the learner ‘s mental representation of language, developing

system, or interlanguage ceases to develop.
 03 Transfer Theory

Transfer is often associated with Larry Selinker 1970s.

In the process of learning a language,the learner is likely to be influenced

by certain processes, such as “language transfer”.
 Role of the First Language and
Transfer

Learners do not simply transform all patterns from L1 to L2 as they recognize

similarities and differences between them.

If learning is cumulative and based on habits,learners are expected to transfer

these habits .

L1 influence is a subtle aspect of L2 devlopment. In terms of SLA, learners draw

on their of other languages as they try to learn new one .
 Types of Transfer

two types of transfer:

Positive transfer:

When we have the linguistic norms in L1 are exactly the same in L2.
This type of transfer facilitate learning.
Negative transfer:

The use of the a native-language pattern or structure which leads to an error or

inappropriate form in the target language.

This type of transfer considered as interference that leads to errors.

 04 Implications to Teaching

1) Errors are indispensable to learners since the making of errors can be

regarded as 'a device the learner uses in order to learn' (Selinker, 1992 in Ho,
2003).

2) Errors indicate lack of sufficient knowledge.

3) Teachers face challenges in deciding when and how to correct errors.

Too much negative feedback can discourage learners and too much
positive feedback can reinforce errors.
4) prodromou's method of correction:

•Primarily putting responsibility for correction on the student.

•Post lesson feedback for written and spoken production.
•Avoiding demotivating corrections front of the class.
Thank you