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FOR ONLINE LEARNING COURSES

Centre of Continuing Education
University of Da Nang
Unit 1 WHAT IS CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS?
CA is:
- an inductive investigative approach based on
distinctive elements in a language
- involves comparison of two (or more) languages
or subsystems of languages (Cross-linguistic CA)
- to determine both the differences and similarities
between them
- It could also be done within one language (Intra-
linguistic CA)
Intra-lingual:
- Analysis of contrastive phonemes, e.g. /p/ & /b/
- Feature analysis of morphosyntactic categories
E.g. forms of verbals as Subject, Objects, Complement
- Analysis of morphemes having grammatical meaning,
e.g. morphemes marking number, tense …
- Analysis of word order, e.g. OSV, SVO …
- Analysis of lexical relations
E.g. synonymy, antonymy, hyponymy
 - Componential analysis of lexemes, e.g.

Contrastive Time of Mode of Work nature

features payment payment

Salary [+paid [+ by cheque] [+manual/

monthly] clerical work]
Wage [+paid weekly] [+in cash] [+with
expertise/skill]
Cross-linguistic CA
- Comparative analysis of contrastive phonemes
E.g. /p/ in English vs. Vietnamese
- Comparative analysis of morphosyntactic systems
E.g. Adjectives in English vs. Vietnamese
- Comparative analysis of lexical semantics
E.g. causative verbs in English vs. Vietnamese
- Analysis of translational equivalence
- Study of interference in foreign language learning
E.g. How OSV order in Vietnamese may influence
transfers into English
Pedagogic view:
Structuralism:
- a finite structure of a given language that can be
documented & compared with another language
- structural linguists set about to identify the patterns
of language
- structural linguistic patterns: the set of habits that
characterized a given language
Behaviourism:
- language learning: habit formation - reinforced or
impeded by existing habits
+ Errors: as result of interference in transfer L1 to L2
+ Habits of MT differ from those of TL
+ Structure of TL differs from that of MT
Lado (1957): major objectives of CA are:
1. Providing insights into similarities and
differences between languages;
2. Explaining and predicting problems in
second language learning; and
3. Developing course material for language
teaching
Theoretical CA & Applied CA
CA is theoretical
- the establishment of linguistic universals, and
- look for the realization of a universal category X
in both A and B (bilateral CA)
- not investigate how a given category present in
language A is presented in language B
(unilateral)
Applied CA attempted to
• selecting information pertinent for the purpose
(teaching, studies on bilingualism, translation, etc.)
• unidirectional, investigating how a (universal)
category realised in L1 in one way is rendered in L2
• identifying potential areas of difficulty due to
interference
• emphasizing value of pointing out similarities in
language teaching
• preventing learner from attempting to construct
forms which may ‘sound foreign’ (Fisiak 1981:3).
Questions:
1. State the major objectives of contrastive analysis
suggested by Lado (1957)
2. In what areas of language can CA make
prediction? Provide example.
3. State briefly the psychological base for CA?
(Clue: habit formation)
4. State briefly the linguistic base for CA?
(Clue: structuralism)
5. What are the purposes of Cross-linguistic CA?
End of Unit 1