In 1960s, Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) was proposed. According to this hypothesis, errors were often thought to be the result of transfer from learners’ first language. It means that second language acquisition is filtered through the learner’s first language. If the native language is similar to the target language, second language acquisition will be easier. On the other hand, if the native language is dissimilar to target language, it will be harder to acquire target language. However, many aspects of learner’s language could not be explained by CAH. For example, idiomatic or metaphorical expression that learner made cannot be transferred word for word.
Since CAH was criticized, many researchers tried to take different approach. In 1970s, error analysis became popular. The difference between CAH and error analysis is that error analysis did not focus on predicting errors but discovering or describing different kinds of errors. However it did not give us clear insight because it ignored the strategy of avoidance that learner often do.
Selinker (1972) proposed the notion of interlanguage. A core of his construct is the notion that interlanguage can function independently of speaker’s native language or the target language. He also showed the existence of fossilization, which is plateau of language learning.
Today, researchers believe CAH’s weak version (that CAH can explain the cause of many, but far from all, systematic language learning errors) rather than strong version (that CAH can explain all learning problems). Even though CAH cannot explain all learning problems that learner has, I think it is very useful in EFL settings. In EFL settings, the group of students is homogeneous. In other word, they share the native language, so we can construct the specific hierarchy of difficulties that learners have by applying CAH. I think it will help a lot.
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Good summary. However, I would have loved to have read more of what you thought of what you'd read, applications to your own teaching and learning situations, etc.
Yo, thanks for the comment! I think that people are often times looking for one 'super' theory for everything. Which is pretty much (in my opinion) never going to be found. Things are far too complex for us to understand them fully. Oh well, I guess we can't do anything but try and further what we know. But... Yeah... The more I read and see at East, the more interesting I find the readings... If you have time any days between 2:15ish - 3:00ish and want to come into help ELL's with High School homework let me know. It is INCREDIBLY helpful to see the stuff you are reading about in action.
You were interested how people memorize new vocabulary. There are of course different methods. I had a lot of practice of one on one tutoring, and some practice of teaching in high school. The most effective way of memorizing new words for the students was when you work with each word for at least one or two minutes: write it down, read it, imagine it, make associations, use it in sentences. The more you work with a single word, the better it connects to the things you already know, and the longer it stays in your memory.
If anyone has any other useful recommendations, please share.
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