Reflection # 5
What is CAH and what are the differences between it and CLI?

The Contastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) states that errors in L2 are assumed to be a result of transfer or blocking due to L1. However, this behaviorally based hypothesis came under fire as researchers looked for more positive ways to approach L2 learning. Error analysis, for example, was used to determine how progress was being made in an L2. A case in point, *he buyed shows that the early learner is developing an ability to form the past tense. Eventually, the term cross-linguistic influence (CLI) came into use, and coalesced in the the definition of "interlanguage," which is the intermediate form, between the bookends of L1 and L2 fluency and accuracy. The nature of the interlanguage depends on the distance or closeness of the language groups to each other. Researchers have determined that it is a system with its own rules, thus being systematic and dynamic.

How can some of the concepts talked about in the Chpater (Brown ch 9) be used in the classroom, e.g., error analysis, CLI, Stages of learner language development, fossilization.

In teaching language, it is helpful to understand that there may be a pre-ordained way in which language structures are learned, and to follow this in order to build up step-wise competence. The examples given are negation, questions, possessive determiners, and relative clauses.Errors are valuable in that they point to what needs to be done, and also indicate progress, as mentioned above. Fossilization appears when learners give up for any of a range of reasons, mostly related to beliefs about themselves, often projected on the society or culture in which they live.

Although vocabulary is mentioned, I do not understand why the authors do not mention the value of ETYMOLOGY in helping students to more quickly amass numbers of words and to help them more accurately guess the meaning of words.