1. THE NATURE OF
LEARNER LANGUAGE
Nuri Fajarwati (2201410021)

2. Error and Error Analysis
Reasons for focusing on error:
 To know the causes of learners‘ error
 It‘s useful for teacher to know what errors learners make
 Making errors may help learners to learn
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 2

3. Error and Error Analysis
Steps in Analysing Learners Errors
1. Identifying
2. Describing
3. Explaining
4. Evaluating
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 3

4. Error and Error Analysis
1. Identifying Errors
 comparison of sentences produced by the learners with the
correct sentences in the target language
 distinction: error & mistake
> error reflects gaps in a learner‘s knowledge
> mistake reflects occasional lapses in performance
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 4

5. Error and Error Analysis
How to distinguish errors and mistakes
 checking the consistency of learners’ performance
 asking learners to try to correct their own deviant
utterances
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 5

6. Error and Error Analysis
2. Describing Errors
Classification into types (two ways)
 classifying into grammatical categories
 trying to identify general ways in which the learners
utterances differ from target-language utterances
- omission : leaving out items which are required for
grammatical correctness
- misinformation: use of one grammatical form instead of
another
- misordering : putting words in a wrong order
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 6

7. Error and Error Analysis
3. Explaining Errors
Systematic Errors
L2 learners create rules on their own, different to the rules
of the target language
Universal Errors
L2 learners commit the same grammatical errors
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 7

8. Error and Error Analysis
Overgeneralized Errors
L2 learners overgeneralize form that they find easy to learn
and process
Transfer Errors
L2 learners attempt to make use of their L1 knowledge
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 8

9. Error and Error Analysis
4. Errors Evaluation
 Purpose: to help learners to learn an L2.
 Global errors (violate the overall structure of a sentence)
 Local error (affect only a single constituent in a sentence)
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 9

10. Developmental Pattern
The Early Stages of L2 Acquisition
 Silent period
 formulaic chunks use of fix expressions
 propositional simplification
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 10

11. Developmental Pattern
The Order of Acquisition
 Accuracy order
> collect samples of learner language and identify how
accurately each future is used by different learners
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 11

12. Developmental Pattern
Sequence of Acquisition
 Transitional construction
> a process of a particular grammatical structure
acquisition
 U-shaped course of development
 Restructuring
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 12

13. Developmental Pattern
Some Implications
The conclusions from the study of learner errors
(L2 acquisition)
 systematic
 universal
reflecting ways in which:
 internal cognitive mechanism acquisition
 irrespective of the personal background of learners
 the setting in which they learn
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 13

14. Developmental Pattern
A key question for both SLA and language
teaching is whether the orders and sequences
of acquisition can be altered through informal
instruction.
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 14

15. Variability in Learner Language
1. Linguistic context
 The use of one form in one context while in other contexts
learners use alternate forms.
 The involvement of the crucial element in the linguistic to
some other constituent of the utterance.
 The effect: one linguistic form can trigger the use of
another form.
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 15

16. Variability in Learner Language
2. Situational context
 Learners are no different from native speakers
3. Psycholinguistics context
 Learners could plan their production.
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 16

17. Variability in Learner Language
 Form-function mappings
 Free variation
 Fossilization
The Nature of Learner Language  Page 17

18. Thank you.
The Nature of Learners Language Page 18