中国英语学习者中介语中的隐性错误_英语论文

Invisible Errors in Chinese EFL Learners’ Interlanguage

摘要

中介语是个独立于母语和第二语言的二语习得系统，在这个“假设—验证”的动态过程中，由于各类语际干扰和语内干扰，学习者不可避免地会犯错。然而在现今中国的英语教学中，教师往往对学生犯的错误持比较消极的态度，对“显性错误”过度看重，具体地说，教师总是重视语言的正确性而不是语言措辞的的得体性以及流利性，忽略了学生本身想表达的内容。长此以往，学生渐渐学会站在“安全区”采取回避策略来取得虚假的正确率。实际上英语学习者由于得不到老师积极正确的指导和反馈而踏入了“隐性错误”的陷阱，导致中介语过早僵化，英语水平停滞不前，这对学生第二语言能力的发展极为不利。教师应该提升对错误的判断能力，认识到学生错误的价值，用积极宽容的态度和正确的指导反馈方法引导学生勇敢地在“健康的”错误中不断提升自己。

关键词：英语教学；中介语；隐性错误；错误纠正；教师反馈

Abstract

Interlanguae is a unique system of second language acquisition which is independent on neither the mother tongue nor the target language. In this dynamic “hypothesis-test” process, it is inevitable for EFL learners to make errors because of various inerlingual interference and intralingual interference. Nevertheless, in Chinese EFL teaching, teachers generally hold a negative attitude towards the errors made by their students. They ignore the message their students intend to express by  over-stressing “visible errors”. To be specific, teachers often attach importance to linguistic accuracy instead of appropriacy and fluency. Gradually, Chinese EFL learners learn to stand still in a “safety zone” to achieve the “deceptive accuracy” by employing avoidance strategy. In fact, lacking positive guidance and appropriate feedback, EFL learners jump down to the pitfall of “invisible errors”, and the premature fossilization of their interlanguage hold their English ability still, which is extremely harmful to EFL learners’ language development. Therefore, it is important to realize the value of errors with a tolerant attitude and corrective feedback, and encourage students to make self-discovery in the process of making “healthy” errors.

Key words: EFL teaching; interlanguage, invisible errors; error correction; teacher feedback

Contents

Introduction 1

1. Basic understanding of SLA 2

1.1 Relevant theories in SLA 2

1.2 The nature of interlanguage in SLA 2

1.3 The inevitability of error occurrence in interlanguage 3

1.4 The significance of errors 4

1.4.1 The significance of errors to the researchers 4

1.4.2 The significance of errors to the teachers 5

1.4.3 The significance of errors to the learners 5

2. Invisible errors in Chinese EFL learners’ output 6

2.1 Teachers’ attitude towards learner errors in China 6

2.1.1 Mistreating learner errors 6

2.2.2 Negative feedback on learner errors 7

2.2 Common types of invisible learner errors 7

2.2.1 Avoidance phenomenon in written production 7

2.2.2 Reticence phenomenon in oral production 8

2.2.3 “Error phobia” mentality in EFL learners 9

3. Potential harms of invisible errors 10

3.1 Violating the nature of second language learning 10

3.2 Hindering EFL learners’ creativity and innovation 11

3.3 Misleading teachers to a false evaluation of teaching efficacy 11

4. Encouraging EFL learners to make “healthy” errors 12

4.1 Improving the quantity and quality of input 12

4.2 Promoting interaction by providing effective feedback 12

4.3 Attending to learners’ affective needs 13

Conclusion 14

References: 16