Why do we make mistakes:

1. Constructive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH)

Developed in 1950/60, it had its roots in behaviorism, comparing 2 languages

According to CAH:

1. Principal barrier to 2^nd language acquisition is the interference of the 1^st language system with the 2^nd language system.

2. These difficulties can be predicted by constructive analysis

3. Teaching material to reduce the effects of interference

1. Criticism -

2. Error analysis:

Human learning is fundamentally a process that involves the making of mistakes

The study and analysis of the errors made by L2 learners

Aim: many mistakes are not caused by the learner's MT (as in CA) but reflected universal learning strategies.

EA was offered as an alternative to CA

Error (competence) - fluent native speaker sees a lack of knowledge

Mistake (performance) - Lack of attention

Source of errors:

1. Interlingual transfers

2. Intralingual transfers

3. Context of training

4. Communication strategies

Types of errors:

1. Lexical errors

2. Phonological errors

3. Syntactic errors (grammar)

4. Interpretive errors

5. Overt errors

6. Covert errors (grammatically correct)

3. Interlanguage - The type of language produced by second and foreign language learners who are in the process of learning a language.

The language which the learner produces differs from L1 and L2
By a gradual process of trial and error testing learners slowly and tediously succeed in establishing closer and closer approximations to the system used by native speaker of Target Language

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