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Despite its many contributions to research in SLA, interlanguage has been criticized for the following reasons.
- The theory assumes that the linguistic stage the learner is at can be predicated by analyzing his errors. However error analysis as a model of inquiry is limited in its scope as it concentrates on what the learner did wrong rather than on what made him successful. Thus it only focuses on the negative aspect of the learners. It does not scrutinize the successful aspect of the learner’s performance.
- Learners may not produce errors because they avoid difficult structures. For example Arab students avoid using modal auxiliaries since they have difficulties in understanding their role in each sentence.
- The IL theory does not take into consideration communicative competence.
Recent research in the area of first language learning now incorporates “communicative competences in its analysis but SLL studies continue to ignore this aspect of language behavior. Communicative competence is defined as “that aspect of our competence that enables us to convey and interpret messages and negotiate meanings interpersonally within specific contexts.” Communicative competence therefore means applying grammatical rules of a language correctly and knowing where and with whom to use these sentences. The IL model only focuses on linguistic competence.
- The model is mentalist in approach and as such neglects external factors yet external factors have a profound effect on language acquisition (see behaviourist theory and Krashen’s affective filter hypothesis)
- We have seen that the IL model perceives learner language as being systematic.
It claims that the learner operates within a certain set of rules as he tries to up- grade his IL. A crucial question then is why is the learner’s performance so variable? Why does he use a rule correctly on one occasion and wrongly on another occasion?
francis1897 answered the question on March 8, 2023 at 13:02
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