Contrastive and Error Analysis

Contrastive and Error Analysis: an introduction to SLA

Tutor: Teguh Khaerudin, M.App.Ling.
UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta 2016

Time and Schedule

This course is delivered fully off line with a weekly class meeting scheduled every Monday at Room 4.11. All reading materials and general information about this course is available on my blog -- yep, this very blog, which is scheduled to be updated once a week. Updates in this blog will be announced in class meeting but regular visit to this blog is advisable.

This is a 2-credit-hour course which means that within a week you need to attend a 2 x 50 minutes class meeting, to spend 2 x 50 minutes of your time for structured task(s), and to use 2 x 50 minutes of your time for independent learning. In sum, you need to allocate 300 minutes of your time in one week to study for this subject. 

Course Description 

Contrastive and Error Analysis course is an introductory course to the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) tailored specifically for English language teacher trainees. The course discusses the shift of approaches to second language acquisition that includes discussion about key factors that affect second language acquisition and the implications of these factors on second language pedagogy. Participants of this course, i.e. English teacher trainees, are encouraged to use the SLA theories discussed in this course as well as their personal L2 learning experiences in a reflective manner. The teacher trainees’ understanding of second language acquisition is confronted to and confirmed with the L2 teaching that they practice or know about.   

Course Objectives

Upon the completion of this course, teacher trainees will able to:

• Demonstrate theoretical knowledge about second language acquisition and its manifestation in second language teaching;
• Relate different approaches to second language teaching and the changes of theories of second language acquisition;
• Demonstrate the ability to reflect critically about their personal second language learning experiences in relation to second language acquisition theories;
• Utilize course readings and discussions to do deep analysis of a second language acquisition phenomenon

Topic Map

Course Schedule

Unit 1 Introduction to Second Language Acquisition

Reading: Foundation of SLA

PPT: Intro to SLA

Unit 2 Theories and Research of Second Language Acquisition

Reading: Theories and Research of SLA

Unit 3 Theories of Learners’ Language: CAH

PPT: Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis

Unit 4 Theories of Learners’ Language: EA

Reading: Contribution of EA to FLT

PPT: Error Analysis 

Unit 5 Theories of Learners’ Language: Interlanguage

PPT: Interlanguage

Unit 6 Comprehensible Input (Krashen’s Monitor Model)

Reading 1: Krashen's Monitor Model

PPT: Input Hypothesis

Unit 7 Interaction Hypothesis (Michael Long)

Reading: Interaction and SLA

PPT: Interaction Hypothesis

Unit 8 Output (Merrill Swain)

Reading: Learner Output and Hypothesis Testing

PPT: Output Hypothesis

Unit 9 Individual Differences in SLA

Reading: Language Acquisition in Different Ages

Reading: Individual Differences

Unit 10 Individual Differences in SLA

PPT: Individual Differences and SLA

Readings:

1. Critical Period Hypothesis

2. Gender and SLA

3. Learning Styles and SLA

4. Anxiety and Language Learning
5. Motivation: Dornyei (2014); Norris (2001) --> more useful references on motivation can be sought here
6. Field-Independent vs Field-Dependent

Course Assignments

Course Assignments	Due Date	Percentage
Assignment 1: Reflective Journals	Week 3 and 6 (mid-semester)	20%
Assignment 2: Learning Biography	Week 9	30%
Assignment 3: Literature Review	Week 12	30%
Class Participation and Attendance	Throughout the course	20%
TOTAL		100%

Assignment 1 Reflective Journals

Method: Individual paper

Word count: n/a

Time: week 3 & 6

Percentage: 20%

Teacher trainees are required to write a reflective journal in two occasions, i.e. in week 3 and week 6. Evidence of deep reflection from the teacher trainees is expected that can be indicated by a piece of reflective writing incorporating a description of the learning experience (e.g. from the readings and discussions) that stimulates the reflection, an evaluation of the experience, an analysis of how the experience really means to the writer, a conclusion, and a reaction or a plan of action in response to the perceived experience.

Assignment 2 – Learning Biography

Method: Individual essay

Due: week 9

Percentage: 30%

               

In this assignment, the teacher trainees are expected to reflect on their second language learning biography and timeline. Teacher trainees face different complexity and need different length of time in learning a second/ foreign language. This assignment encourages teacher trainees to utilize theories of SLA that they have learned in this course to critically reflect and analyse their personal L2 learning experiences. This learning biography should include:

1. an autobiography of personal L2 learning experience;
2. whether this course enrich L2 learning experience? In which way?
3. how this course helps with future L2 learning and teaching.

Assignment 3 – Literature Review

Method: Individual paper

Due: week 12

Percentage: 30%

In this assignment, teacher trainees are expected to do a literature review that include two articles on L2 acquisition from linguistic perspective, two from psychological perspective, two from social perspective, and two articles related to L2 learning in general and two articles focused on L2 teaching. The assignment will be down in the format of annotated bibliography that follows this structure: one- or two-sentence summary of the article, one- or two-sentence elaboration of the summary, and one-to two-sentences of connection between the article and your interest (e.g. why did you pick this particular article to read)

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Class Participation and Attendance

Due: Throughout the course

Percentage: 20%

Active involvement in all class activities is required from all teacher trainees. The extent of preparation for, participation in and contribution to class activities will be assessed and scored in this course. Furthermore, class attendance should be at least 80% of all meeting hours and becomes compulsory requirement in order for the students to get mark of this course.   

Readings