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Beyond output: the analysis of interlanguage development1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2008

Kurt Kohn
Kurt Kohn
Affiliation:
Universität Konstanz
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Extract

One of the main challenges faced by second langague acquisition research is to find an answer to the question of which processes and strategies guide the learner's attempt to acquire a foreign language. Whereas most investigations are based on the learner's output, this paper argues in favor of a more comprehensive approach. It tries to close the speculative gap between output and the underlying processes by integrating three types of questions:

(a) What requirements do learners impose on their own interlanguage output?

(b) What linguistic knowledge concerning the fulfillment of their requirements do learners have stored in their memories?

(c) What linguistic forms do learners actually use in their interlanguage output and how do these comply with their underlying knowledge?

An analysis which goes beyond the bounds of output by combining what learners want with what they know along with what they produce leads to insights into their interlanguage processes.

Quantitative procedures are introduced which measure learners' knowledge with respect to their requirement of correctness and also the extent to which their output complies with what they know. Three empirical studies are presented. They demonstrate that an analysis which combines information about requirements, knowledge and output can deal effectively with some of the dynamic aspects of interlanguage behavior.

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Type
Articles
Information
Studies in Second Language Acquisition , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , Spring 1982, pp. 137 - 152
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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