In this paper I will investigate several language productions from Polish learners using the English language and try to uncover their errors. Using Error Analysis I will describe and explain the reasons for the error production. An interesting question will be whether the Polish speakers may have typical errors which could be related to their native language.
Due to the numerous kinds of errors, it will be necessary to classify them and to relate them to certain reasons. Furthermore there exists a difference between an error and a mistake. Its importance will be discussed later on.
Even though Error Analysis, initially offers helpful opportunities to investigate error production in a structured way, it has several disadvantages which were criticized in past decades.
In the end the conclusion will give an overview of the contents and summary the handled topics.
During the last several decades linguists have investigated the way of acquiring a second language. Learners have several ways of acquiring a language and the field of second language acquisition (SLA) tries to uncover and improve them.
When people try to learn a foreign language they produce a considerable amount of errors. These errors have always been made in the learning process and will never cease to occur. During the complex investigations of second language acquisition, linguists have focused on Error Analysis (EA) with its aim to take a deeper look on learner production. Around the late 60`s this particular analysis was established with an approach of Pit Corder. This system shows that errors should be investigated to understand and also improve the linguists attempts of learning a second language. Typical questions which arise are why learners make errors and what reasons do they have?
Before Pit Corder, linguists used the Contrastive Analysis (CA) which examines certain errors and refers to a particular connection between the first and the second language. The differences between these two types of analysis will be examined in detail in the following chapter.
Several steps are needed to analyze various errors in language. Investigators have developed procedures to collect, identify, describe, explain and lastly evaluate certain errors. These certain steps will be described and underlined with certain examples.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Error Analysis and Contrastive Analysis
3. Errors
4. Steps in EA Research
4.1 Collection of Samples
4.2 Identification of Errors
4.3 Description of Errors
4.4 Explanation of Errors
5. Critics of Error Analysis
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This paper explores the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) with a specific focus on Error Analysis (EA). It aims to examine how learners produce errors, how these errors can be categorized and explained, and why they serve as valuable indicators of a learner's interlanguage development, specifically analyzing texts from Polish learners of English.
- Theoretical comparison between Contrastive Analysis and Error Analysis
- Methodological framework for the collection, identification, description, and explanation of linguistic errors
- Distinction between learner errors and performance mistakes
- The impact of L1 interference on L2 production
- Critical evaluation of the limitations and historical reception of Error Analysis
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Collection of Samples
First of all one has to decide what samples should be investigated and furthermore how they could be collected. There are three particular types of samples. The biggest sample, called the massive sample, consists of “[...] several samples of language use from a large number of learners […] which is representative of the entire population” (Ellis 1994, 49). The second type is the specific sample which “[...] consists of one sample of language use collected from a limited number of learners […]” (Ellis 1994, 49). The last is the incidental sample which involves only one sample produced by one person. One very important fact which one should keep in mind, is that learners make certain errors because of certain influences. Learners with different native languages make different errors. These are reasons why investigators should consider a couple of particular factors.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the field of Second Language Acquisition and outlines the shift from Contrastive Analysis to the more modern approach of Error Analysis.
2. Error Analysis and Contrastive Analysis: This section details the historical transition from Contrastive Analysis, which focused on L1 interference, to Error Analysis, which views errors as evidence of the learner's developing linguistic system.
3. Errors: This chapter defines the differences between errors (lack of knowledge) and mistakes (inattention), and explains why systematic errors are significant for understanding language learning.
4. Steps in EA Research: This section provides a procedural framework for investigating learner language, focusing on collection, identification, description, and explanation of errors.
5. Critics of Error Analysis: This chapter addresses the limitations of EA, such as its focus on faulty production rather than total learner competence and the lack of longitudinal analysis.
6. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes the findings regarding Polish speakers and evaluates the current relevance and historical decline of Error Analysis in SLA research.
Keywords
Second Language Acquisition, Error Analysis, Contrastive Analysis, Interlanguage, L1 Interference, Language Production, Psycholinguistic Sources, Omission, Mistake, Learner Language, Linguistic Performance, Surface Strategy, Pedagogical Strategies, Polish Learners, Language Competence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the utility of Error Analysis in understanding the mechanisms of Second Language Acquisition by examining how and why learners produce errors.
What are the primary topics covered in this work?
Key topics include the historical context of error research, the methodological steps for analyzing learner language, the differentiation between errors and mistakes, and the critical limitations of current EA models.
What is the main research objective?
The primary goal is to investigate the linguistic production of Polish learners to determine if their specific errors can be attributed to L1 interference and to demonstrate how these errors reveal their underlying language knowledge.
Which scientific methodology is utilized?
The paper uses the standard four-step procedure of EA research: collection of samples, identification of errors, description of errors, and explanation of their sources.
What themes are explored in the main body?
The main body examines the transition from Contrastive Analysis to Error Analysis, provides a classification of error types (e.g., omission, addition), and presents a case study of two Polish speakers.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Relevant keywords include Second Language Acquisition, Error Analysis, Interlanguage, L1 Interference, and Learner Language.
How does the author distinguish between an error and a mistake?
The author defines an error as a systematic failure stemming from a lack of knowledge in the target language system, whereas a mistake is an unintentional performance lapse, often similar to a "slip of the tongue."
What influence does the Polish language have on the subjects' English?
The research concludes that the Polish subjects frequently omit definite and indefinite articles, which are not present in their native language, suggesting a direct transfer of Polish grammatical structures to English.
Why has Error Analysis lost some of its popularity?
EA is criticized for focusing too narrowly on errors rather than the total capacity of the learner and for often relying on cross-sectional rather than longitudinal data.
What is the role of the "surface strategy" in this analysis?
The surface strategy is used to classify errors by how they alter the original structure—specifically through omission, addition, misinformation, or misordering—to uncover the cognitive processes behind the learner's production.
- Quote paper
- Tom Keller (Author), 2010, Error Analysis in SLA. An Investigation of Errors made by Polish Learners of English, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/319481
