Some outstanding issues

(1)?Methodological problems

①?Intro:

1)?three types of research:

a.?Error Analysis

b.?cross-sectional studies

c.?longitudinal case studies

2)?issue: natural sequence of development resulted of innate internal processes

②?Error Analysis: a limited tool

1)?focuses only on the idiosyncratic forms (錯誤/異常)

2)?examines language-learner language at a single point in time

3)?practical difficulties about identifying what an ‘error’?is

③?Morpheme studies (Cross-sectional studies)

1)?cross-sectional studies (other than morpheme studies): unable to inform about the sequence of SLA

2)?morpheme studies: controversial

a.?no sufficient theoretical base: accuracy(morpheme) =acquisition (order)

b.?orders obtained from morpheme studies: an artefact of the Bilingual Syntax Measure

c.?criticisms

a)?the choice of morphemes for investigation

b)?the methods used to ‘score’?each morpheme

d.?variability in data

④?Longitudinal studies

1)?hard to make reliable comparisons between learners

a.?lack of reliable index

b.?MLU can’t be used in SLA because L2 beginners use rote-learnt chunks which lack internal structure

a)?MLU: mean length of utterance

b)?function: a reliable index for L1 research

2)?relatively few areas of grammar have been investigated (negatives, interrogatives, and basic sentence types)

⑤?The focus on grammar

1)?why

a.?close links between mentalist accounts of language acquisition and the theories of syntax associated with Chomsky

b.?language acquisition = construction of linguistic competence

2)?communicative competence?was neglected

form-function relationship (central of SLA)

(2)?Theoretical Problems

①?Origins of interlanguage

1)?based on: SLA = recreation continuum

2)?starting point

a.?The learner starts from scratch (FLA)

b.?The learner starts from ‘some basic simple grammar’?(Corder)

the learners regress to an earlier stage (in their own development) before elaboration

c.?The starting point consists of the early vocabulary that the learner has acquired

the utterances are non-grammatical but coveys meaning with the help of context

3)?conclusion

a.?starting point = the learner’s knowledge of how to get a message across without the help of grammar

every language user has this capacity and it can be called upon whenever there’s a need to create ‘simple’?messages

b.?the question of the origins of interlanguage is still an open one and there have been very few empirical studies

②?Neglect of external factors

1)?Mentalist view

a.?input = trigger

b.?language acquisition device: invariable sequence of development

2)?Problem and solution

a.?the relationship between the input and the learner’s internal processing mechanisms is ignored

b.?interaction: from intra-organism → inter-organism

③?The problem of variability

1)?Language-learner language is systematic but the learner’s performance is variable: On one occasion he uses one rule, on another he uses a different rule

2)?characteristics of developmental stage: a system of alternative rules

3)?variability

a.?backsliding

a)?the stages may overlap

b)?the amount of overlapping is variable

b.?contextual variability

why or when variability takes place

c.?individual learner differences (ignored by mentalist)

a)?affect the rate of SLA

b)?affect at which cessation of learning occurs (fossilization)