CONTRASTIVE ANALYSIS

By Carl James

Professor: Dr. Saharkhiz

Presented by: Nastaran Razavi

Chapter Two

The Psychological Basis

of

Contrastive Analysis

• CA is a hybrid drawing on the sciences of :

Linguistics

• is concerned with the formal

properties of language

Psychology

• is concerned with learning processes

2.1 Transfer in Learning Psychology

The psychological basis of CA is Transfer Theory, i.e., prior

learning affects subsequent learning.

2.1 Transfer in Learning Psychology

Learning involves the association of two entities. In psychology, Associationism (dating back to Aristotle) is a

theory about how items combine in the mind to produce

thought and learning.

For example, identifying pictographs with what they really represent is a mental process developed through association.

2.1 Transfer in Learning Psychology

In the process of learning, those entities are a stimulus (S) and a response (R). The Stimulus-Response Theory refers to the belief that behavior manifests as a result of the interpl-

ay/association between stimulus and response.

For example, when a child feels thirsty (stimulus) he will respond by saying ‘Milk’, and it will be reinforced with a

glass of milk.

Following this concept, it can be said that the psychologic-

al basis of CA is transfer theory, elaborated and formulated

within a Stimulus-Response (behaviorist) theory of psychol-

ogy.

2.2 Some Problems in Defining S-R in Second Language Learning

1. In non-verbal learning, the learner doesn’t have to learn the responses, except their associations with a particular stimulus. In other words, the L2 utterances, which are the responses, have to be learnt jointly with their associated stimuli.

S: Yes/ No Questions

R: Yes, I do / No, I don't

2.2 Some Problems in Defining S-R in Second Language Learning

2. CA is more concerned with teaching rather than learning since teaching involves the predetermination and conventionalization of which stimuli and responses are to be associated. In other words, CA is interested in how learners are taught to appropriately associate a certain response to its stimulus.

S: emphasis

R: (Cleft Sentence) It was JOHN who did it!

2.2 Some Problems in Defining S-R in Second Language Learning

3. What constitutes a S or a R in L2 learning?

Jakobovits (1970) and Bloomfield (1933):

S pre-linguistic definition: The environmental

conditions that are prior to linguistic utterances.

S: Feeling cold (pre-linguistic)

R: Could you please shut the window? S R: Sure.

2.2 Some Problems in Defining S-R in Second Language Learning

Richterich (1974):

S Communicative need which is prior to the

interaction. The stimulus reception is unavoidable while

the response is a choice.

S: Sadness (Communicative need)

R: I miss him so much. S R: Yes, I miss him too.

Richterich disregards the stimulus conception as

purely linguistic and also finds it contradictory because

language behavior is a two-way process: a R may act as a

S for the next R.

2.2 Some Problems in Defining S-R in Second Language Learning

4. A response in language behavior is the utterance,

which is linguistics object of study. However, linguistic

descriptions only account for language as a system (they

deal with sentences and not with utterances). Therefore,

Utterances undergo a process of abstraction to be studied

as sentences. Since there is a one-to-many relationship

between sentences and utterances, predictions can only be

made as regards the form and not the substance. As a

result, CA is more interested in generalizations rather than

in the utterances themselves.