Chapter 4 questions and Answers
Why did researchers start studying EA?
As you have noticed, CAH cannot completely explain the process of second-language learning, specially the students’ errors. It was why the researchers started to look for a new approach. CA is under the influence of behaviorism and in CA, transfer is considered as the most important and even the only reason for language learning difficulties.This new approach is called Error Analysis
What is the EA’s point of view toward errors?
It is based on the theories of first and second language learning and their possible similarities.
In this approach errors is seen as a necessary part of language learning.
According to EA, how can learners benefit from their own errors?
They believe if we study the errors children make while learning L1; it can give us insights into second language learning difficulties.
On the other hand, they do not see the errors as sin. The errors are considered as a sign of learning. They are evidence of the cognitive process of language learning.
Why do some researchers claim that EA serves pedagogical aims better than CA does?
1.EA does not limit the cause of errors just to transfer, what CA does.
EA consider other reasons as well, some of reasons it introduces have nothing to do with L1.
2. It’s not dependent on hypothetical problems. It talks about actual problems and it makes it more efficient and economical than CA.
3. Unlike CA, it’s not confronted with the complex theoretical problems.
What are three fundamental assumption of EA?
We cannot learn any language(L1 or L2) without making errors.
Errors are important in different ways.
Transfer is not the only cause of errors. They happen because of different reasons.
What are productive errors? How can we study them.
are those happening while student is trying to say something. These group of errors are easy to recognize, just by listening to the students utterances.
studying productive errors are easier then receptive errors.
What are receptive errors?
are those happening because the students cannot understand the speakers intentions. They are difficult to study because we cannot be sure of what others are understanding.
How can we study receptive errors?
For studying this kind of errors we should consider their reaction to requests, orders, complements, etc. Studying their reaction we can decide if they have get the right idea about what they have heard.
What is interlanguage?
At any stage of language learning, the learners have a system in their mind about the structure of that language. This is called interlanguage
What are errors?
are rule-governed and systematic. They happen because the language learners’ knowledge of the language rules is not complete
What are mistakes?
are random. They are unrelated to any system. They can occur in both language learners’ and native speakers’ utterances
How can we distinguish errors and mistakes?
those with low frequency of occurrence are mistakes/performance errors. Those with high frequency of occurrence are systematic errors.
This is not a very precise criteria for recognizing errors. If a structure happens just once , we cannot consider it as mistake. It might be a very rarely used structure. We should consider its nature as well.
What do researchers study in theoretical error analysis?
Theoretical EA also tries to explain the strategies adopted by language learners while learning a language. Strategies such as overgeneralization, and simplification
What do researchers study in applied error analysis?
It deals with pragmatic and pedagogical issues. It mostly tries for preparing more effective teaching materials for language teaching.
Name the four stages of second language development. Explain the first stage?
1: Presystematic/ random errors
At this stage, the student have a very limited and vague knowledge about the language. He is not aware of the system. He made wild guesses while he is trying to talk. The sentences he utter are inconsistent.
2: Emergent
3: Systematic
4: Pastsystematic/ stabilization
What are the main features of the emergent stage of second language development?
At this stage, the student’s sentences show more consistency. He has started to recognize the system. He is learning and internalizing the rules. Of course the rules he is learning are not all correct. Some of them are the result of his incorrect hypothesis. But he thinks they are perfectly correct. He is not able to correct his mistakes even when they are pointed out to him. Since he does not know all the structures, he avoid some structures and topics.
What are the main features of Postsystematic/ stabilization stage of second language development?
At this stage the student has mastered the system. He has few errors. He has the self-correction ability.
Different parts of the student’s language ability can be in different stages. In other words, while learning a language all parts of it does not develop at the same rate.
What are the main features of systematic stage of second language development?
At this stage, the sentences are more consistent. Although we cannot say all the rules that student has in his mind are correct, they show more similarity to the actual rules of the language.
The student is able to correct his errors when they are pointed out , even very subtly, to him.
What are the main features of Presystematic/ random errors stage of second language learning?
At this stage, the student have a very limited and vague knowledge about the language. He is not aware of the system. He made wild guesses while he is trying to talk. The sentences he utter are inconsistent.
What are the differences between systematic and post-systematic stages of second-language learning?
At post-systematic stages the student has mastered the system. He has few errors. He has the self-correction ability. but in systematic the sentences are more consistent. Although we cannot say all the rules that student has in his mind are correct

left]• ?]

As you have noticed, CAH cannot completely explain the process of second-language learning, specially the students’ errors. and in CA, transfer is considered as the most important and even the only reason for language learning difficulties.

• What is the EA’s point of view toward errors?

errors is seen as a necessary part of language learning. On the other hand, they do not see the errors as sin.


How can we distinguish errors and mistakes?
Frequency of occurrence: those with low frequency of occurrence are mistakes/performance errors. Those with high frequency of occurrence are systematic errors.
This is not a very precise criteria for recognizing errors. If a structure happens just once , we cannot consider it as mistake. It might be a very rarely used structure. We should consider its nature as well.
Self-correctability: if we draw the students’ attention to their mistakes , they can correct themselves; since they know the correct form. While they cannot correct their errors because they think of them as correct forms.