Errors in the learning of Italian as a foreign language : a contribution to the debate on the difference between acquiring a language in natural circumstances and learning a language in a classroom
The present study is based on the distinction between Second Language Acquisition (SLA), the acquisition of an L2 in a natural context, and Foreign Language Learning (FLL) in an instructed context. In the field of Applied Linguistics, there is a tendency to overlook the differences between the two contexts, both in terms of empirical research and theoretical work. Findings from SLA in a given country have been applied to FLL in another, without any questioning of the validity of the application. Although this practice has become established in the field, an analysis of the differences between SLA and FLL, both contextual and learner-related, seems to justify the need to redefine two areas of enquiry which may be related but are also distinct. In Chapter One several models of SLA are reviewed with specific reference to the notion of error within each of them, and their relevance to FLL is questioned. In Chapter Two, an attempt is made to define a model which incorporates the differences between L 1 acquisition, SLA and FLL and which seeks to categorize error sources in terms of the different socio-cognitive variables operant in each. The following two chapters contain a report of a study designed to test the
Gambarotta, Patrizia
Linguistics
Errors in the learning of Italian as a foreign language : a contribution to the debate on the difference between acquiring a language in natural circumstances and learning a language in a classroom. The present study is based on the distinction between Second Language Acquisition (SLA), the acquisition of an L2 in a natural context, and Foreign Language Learning (FLL) in an instructed context. In the field of Applied Linguistics, there is a tendency to overlook the differences between the two contexts, both in terms of empirical research and theoretical work. Findings from SLA in a given country have been applied to FLL in another, without any questioning of the validity of the application. Although this practice has become established in the field, an analysis of the differences between SLA and FLL, both contextual and learner-related, seems to justify the need to redefine two areas of enquiry which may be related but are also distinct. In Chapter One several models of SLA are reviewed with specific reference to the notion of error within each of them, and their relevance to FLL is questioned. In Chapter Two, an attempt is made to define a model which incorporates the differences between L 1 acquisition, SLA and FLL and which seeks to categorize error sources in terms of the different socio-cognitive variables operant in each. The following two chapters contain a report of a study designed to test the
errors learn italian foreign_language debate difference acquire_language natural circumstance learn language_classroom present_study base distinction second_language_acquisition_sla acquisition natural context foreign_language_learning instruct context field applied linguistics tendency overlook difference_two context term empirical_theoretical work findings sla give country apply another without question_validity application although practice become established field analysis difference sla contextual learner related seem justify need redefine area_enquiry may_relate also distinct several model sla review specific_reference notion error within relevance question attempt_make define model incorporates difference acquisition sla seek categorize error source term different socio_cognitive variable each follow_two contain report study design_test