Chapter 2 The Nature of Learner Language Rod Ellis (1997) : 15-30

1. Chapter 2The Nature of Learner LanguageRod Ellis (1997) : 15-30 By Tri Iryani (2201410156) Semarang State University

2. Errors and Error Analisys Why do we focus on error? Learners are a conspicuous feature of learner language  why do learners make errors? It is useful for teacher to know what errors learners make Paradoxically, it is possible that making errors may actually help learners to learn whe they self-correct the errors they make

3. steps • Identifyng errors compare the sentences learners produce with what seem to be the normal or correct sentence in the target language. example : wrong : A man and a little boy was watching him. correct form : A man and a little boy were watching him. in identifying  distinguish errors and mistakes

4. Describing errors the identified errors can be described and classified into types by several ways : • Grammatical categories • General ways(learners’ utterances differ from the re-constructed target-language)

5. Explaining errors errors are, to a large extent, systematically, and to certain extent, predictable. errors are not only systematic but also universal (ofcourse not all)

6. example : the case of the speaker of Bantu languages ‘at’  ‘to’ (direction) we went at Johannesburg last weeked. Why does it happen?

7. Errors evaluation global errors  violate the overall structure of sentence example : The policeman was in this corner whistle.. local errors  affect only a single constituent in the sentence (i.e verb)

8. Developmental patterns The early stage of L2 acquisition • Chidren  silent period learn through listening to or reading • Learners begin to speak  2 characteristic • The kind of formulaic chunks, i.e : greeting and request • Proportionsl simplification, i.e : Me no blue. • Learners learn grammar  acquisition order • Learners learn particular grammar structure sequence of acqusition

9. The order of acquisition accuracy order : how accurately each feature is used by learners Researchers said : there is a definite accuracy order and that this remains more or less the same irrespective of the learners’ mother tongue, age, and wether they receive formal language intruction or not

10. Sequence of acquisition The acquisition of particular grammatical structure, therefor, must be seen as aprocess involving transitional contructions. Example : consider ho L2 learners acquire irregular past tense form (see table)

12. Some implications • conclussion reached from learning the errors is L2 acquisition is systematic and, to large extent, universal, reflecting ways that supported by some internal factors • Linguistic feature (grammar) is easier to be learnt than others This has implication for both SLA theory ang for language teaching

13. Variability in learner language We have seen : Learner language is systematic at a particular development, learners consistently use the same grammatical form. Learner language is variable  at any given stage of development, learners sometimes emloy one form and sometimes another

14. Example : Yesterday the thief steal the suitcase Yesterday the thief stealing the suitcase Correct target language : Yesterday the thief steal the suitcase Yesterday the thief stole the suitcase

15. Learner use specific grammatical context to vary the linguistic context, the situational context (i.e who the learner is addressing) and the psycholinguistic context Variability plays an integrative part. Different kinds of variability may be evident at the different stages of development

16. Thank You