Day 33: The Phenomenon of Fossilization

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Objectives
Students will be able to

• discuss the ways in which the notion of Interlanguage can be applied to the classroom.

• take a look at the notion of fossilization and its impact in language learning.

INTERLANGUAGE (review)

One definition
Interlanguage is a term that describes the language leraner's journey from his native language (L1) to acquisition of the target language (L2). 

Term coined by Larry Selinker (1972) in his famous article inspired by studies in error analysis and correction

The Interlanguage Theory tried to determine if there was a continuum i the internal grammar of learning additional languages, and through research, resolve if learners acquired L2 in much of the same fashion as L1.

Factors involved in the development of Interlanguage
nature of input
environment
internal processing of the learner
influence of L1

Characteristics of Interlanguage 

This "separate language system" is:

systematic
The learner forms an internal his/her own rules and structures, which may or may not be the proper rules of the L2 being learned.

dynamic
The internal rules formed in the head of learner are not static and have the ability to be altered.

variable
There  are numerous factors involved with language and rule acquisition that vary from person to person: the nature of the input (instruction, TV, etc), the environment (the classroom, the instructor, etc.), and exposure (foreign language, second language, etc.).

Source:  www.tesolclass.com

FOSSILIZATION

Fossilization can be defined as the point at which no further learning appears possible, with the student's performance apparently impervious to both exposure to English and explicit error correction (Otavio).