Fossilization.ppt

1 Foss Foss ilization ilization Liu Liu Lina Lina Fossilization Fossilization 2 The ultimate goal of SLA research is to understand what is acquired and what is not acquired and the mechanisms that bring second language knowledge about. ( ( Gass Gass , 1988:198; emphasis added) , 1988:198; emphasis added) 3 1. Background 2. Definitions 3. Conceptual issues 4. Some concluding thoughts 4 Background 5 One of the most enduring and fascinating One of the most enduring and fascinating problems confronting researchers of seco problems confronting researchers of seco nd language acquisition (SLA) is nd language acquisition (SLA) is whether adults can ever a whether adults can ever a cquire native-p cquire native-p etence in a second lang etence in a second lang uage (L2), uage (L2), 6 One of the most enduring and fascinating One of the most enduring and fascinating problems confronting researchers of seco problems confronting researchers of seco nd language acquisition (SLA) is nd language acquisition (SLA) is whether this is an acco whether this is an acco mplishment reserved fo mplishment reserved fo r children who start lea r children who start lea rning at a relatively ear rning at a relatively ear ly age ly age ( Kellerman , 1995: 219) 7≥ the age of around 7-10 years SLA ≠ L1 slow laborious fast easy 8 Definitions Definitions 9 This "stopping short" has been referred to as fossilization ( Selinker , 1972) or pleteness ( Schachter , 1990). It is one of the noticeable characteristics of second language acquisition. ( Towell & Hawkins, 1994:2) Th is "stopping short" has been referred to as fossilization ( Selinker , 1972) or pleteness ( Schachter , 1990). It is one of the noticeable characteristics of second language acquisition. 10 Selinker ?… a permanent cessation of IL learning before the learner has attained TL norms at all levels of linguistic structure and in all discourse domains in spite of the learne