Contrastive Analysis Revision
What is contrastive analysis?
- A systematic study of a pair of languages with a view to identifying their structural
differences and similarities.
- A comparative study which emphasizes linguistic differences on the first language and target
language.
- It is done to predict difficulties.
! Important Note!
- Those elements which are similar to the learner’s native language will be simple for him, and
those elements that are different will be difficult.
When performing a CA:
- We analyse each language from all levels and aspects.
- We study the words of the language, the grammar, the semantics, the pragmatics etc
Why do we do it?
- The goal is to find the types of differences and similarities between the two languages
(BM&BI)
- We need to search for the points where the language learners would make mistakes
- Compile words to be included in the dictionary.
- Translate texts and communicate across cultures.
Model of Prediction (Practor, 1967)
Hierarchy of Difficulty:
Level 0: Transfer (no difference in anything, easy to transfer a sound, structure,lexical items from NL
to TL, same word order)
Level 1: Coalescence (2 or more items in the native language become coalesced (come together) into
one item in the target language exp- murid & pelajar = student)
Level 2: Under differentiation (an item in the native language is absent in the target language exp-
saya dtg ke sini utk belajar)
Level 3: Reinterpretation (the learner on the basis of native language structures, make an inference
that is very different from that made by a native speaker of the target language exp- it is easier for
them to take care of their own car DT adalah lebih mudah utk menjaga kereta mereka sendiri)
= this happened because the sentence may be misinterpreted because the words are conjured out
using the student’s native language. The words order is not appropriately put in a sentence, causing
it to portray other meanings.
Level 4: Over differentiation ( a new item in target language which is absent in native language exp-
now I continue my studies at.. DT sekarang saya sedang menyambung pelajaran di… TL Now I am
continuing my studies at…)
= The learner’s tend to omit the auxiliary ‘be’ due to the absence of it in the learners native
language.
= The word ‘sedang’ means in progress but in English, the tense that shows progressive form is
present continuous tense with the form of ‘be’ verbs + root verb + -ing.
L1 and L2 Acquisition
Age : L1 learning (baby/ young child) L2 (primary/secondary school)
Ways of learning: L1 (exposure to and picking up language/ strong motivation to communicate/
interaction with family and friends/ listening to and taking in language for many months before using
it)
L2 (through exposure but often taught specific language/ motivation to use the language/ the
pressure to produce language soon after it has been taught/ often by using the language in
controlled practice activities)
Context: L1 (the child heard the language around him all the time/ family and friends talk to the child
a lot/ has a lot of opportunities to experiment with the language/ caretakers simplify their speech to
the child/ caretakers rarely correct the form and accuracy of what the child says in obvious ways)
L2 (learners are not exposed to the TL very much/ learners receive little individual attention from the
teacher/ teacher generally correct the learners a lot)
Interference Theory
Basically…
- You look at the second language through filter of the first language.
- The rules of the first language are matched with the rules of the second language.
- You see the rule systems of the S&TL are different and sometimes the rules of languages
interfere with one another.
So…
- Studying CA can help you to understand & know these interferences.
- If certain elements of a SL differed greatly from the FL, that student would likely encounter
difficulties.
IT: Situation 1
- Most learners would assume a word-for-word translation.
- L1 interference occurs when a learners primary language influences his/her progress in L2
- Interference affects pronunciation/grammar/structures/vocab/semantics.
IT: Situation 2
- When learners want to write/speak in the TL, they tend to rely on their first language
structures.
- A learner has difficulties in second language such as phonology, vocab, and grammar due to
the interference of habits from L1 and L2.
!Important Notes!
- The language learning could be facilitated by identifying the structural similarities and
differences between the learner’s FL and the TL.
- By analyzing the linguistic structures of the L1 and TL, teachers could identify the areas of
difficulty that learners were likely to encounter and develop appropriate teaching materials
and strategies.
Criticism of CA
- It was overly simplistic and failed to take into account the complex and dynamic nature of
language learning.
- Language learning is highly individualized process that cannot be reduced to a simple
comparison of L1 and TL structures.
- It focuses too narrowly on linguistic structures and did not take into account the broader
cultural and social context of the language learning takes place.
- Some critics argues that CA is biased, as it assumed that the L1 was the primary influence on
the learner’s language acquisition.
Modern CA
- A tool in language teaching & learning today
- To identify not just structural differences but also pragmatic, sociolinguistic and cultural
differences between L1 & TL.
LANGUAGE TRANSFER
- Aka mother tongue/ native language influences/ cross-linguistic influence.
What happens during LT?
- Learners are trying to apply rules and forms of the first language into the SL
- Spoken/written
Transfer as a strategy
- Adult learners do not substitude what he knows in the native language for the TL instead, to
fill in their gaps, they refer for help to what they already know.
- Used as a strategy to discover the L2 structure and help them communicate in the target
language.
Transfer as constraint
- Transfer acts as a constraint in the language learning.
- Learners producing non-target like language
- Constraint- something that prevents a learner from being aware to similarities or from
deciding that the similarity is real.
Transfer as a process
- Learning process /production process
Positive transfer (similarities found In both L1/L2)
-language learners have no difficulties in learning language bcs what has been learned in the L1 is
positively transferred into the second one. Exp- loanwords
Loanwords
Type 1: words adopted from foreign language with no modification (atom/hotel)
Type 2: words from English with similar pronunciation but diff spelling in bm (carbon/block)
Type 3: malay words translated and became valid words in English (amok)
Negative transfer
- Differences of grammatical structure, morphology & pronunciation L1&2
- Takes time and effort
Exp: Do you have book? (omission of definite articles)
I have many idea (no plural form of nouns)
I gave the forms to she (no distinction between subject and object pronouns)
I finish this tomorrow (present tense is used in the place of future tense)
DIFFERENCES
English (past,present, future tense)
Malay (no specific suffixes to indicate situation happened in the past)
- Original verb is not disturbed instead, another term is used to shoe that the situation
happens in the past, present or future. (future tense Eng- will/going to BM -akan)
Forms of errors (Form vs Function)
- Random errors: learners are experimenting/ making inaccurate guessing
- Emergent: learners begin to internalize certain rules
- Systematic: learners able to manifest consistency in producing L2
- Stabilization: learners has mastered the system, able to self control
Error Analysis
What is that?
1. Error Analysis:
Definition: Error analysis involves the identification, classification, and analysis of
errors made by language learners.
Focus: It primarily focuses on the errors made by learners during the production of
language, whether in speaking, writing, or other language skills.
Methodology: Error analysis aims to understand the sources of errors, their types,
and the patterns that may emerge. It often involves collecting samples of learner
language, analyzing the mistakes, and determining possible causes.
Purpose: The ultimate goal of error analysis is to inform language teaching by
helping educators understand the challenges faced by learners. Teachers can then
use this information to design more effective instructional strategies and materials.
2. Contrastive Analysis:
Definition: Contrastive analysis involves comparing the linguistic elements of two
languages (usually the native language and the target language) to identify
similarities and differences.
Focus: It focuses on predicting and explaining errors that learners might make based
on the differences between their native language and the target language.
Methodology: Contrastive analysis typically involves a systematic comparison of
linguistic features, such as phonology, syntax, semantics, and morphology, between
the native and target languages.
Purpose: The main purpose of contrastive analysis is to anticipate and understand
potential difficulties and errors that learners might encounter due to the influence of
their native language. This information can guide the development of language
teaching materials and strategies.
Comparison:
Overlap: Both error analysis and contrastive analysis aim to improve language teaching by
understanding and addressing challenges faced by learners.
Focus: Error analysis looks at errors made by learners, while contrastive analysis looks at
potential challenges arising from language differences.
Methodology: Error analysis involves examining actual learner output, while contrastive
analysis involves comparing linguistic features of two languages.
In summary, error analysis deals with actual errors made by learners, seeking to understand and
rectify them, while contrastive analysis compares the native and target languages to predict potential
errors. Both approaches can complement each other in providing valuable insights for language
instruction.
