Factors Affecting Learners'Achievement
Contrastive Analysis in the Classroom
1. Introduction
Contrastive analysis is a very controversial field of applied linguistics, especially in regard to its role in the language teaching process. There have been times when comparing languages was considered to be the very foundation of language teaching, and those when any reference to the mother tongue was absolutely forbidden. The aim of this paper is to show some misconceptions about contrastive linguistics in general and present the most frequently stated arguments in favour of and against it. The paper touches both the theoretical and applied branches of contrastive studies and attempts to throw some light on the cultural and pragmatic aspects of this topic as well. In pursue of this aim it is important to consider the state of the art viewpoints as opposed to the opinions of the sixties and seventies, as these have experienced radical changes under the influence of new insights and developments in linguistics and language teaching methodology. Finally, I would like to suggest some ways of using contrastive analysis in the classroom with the object of making the learning process easier and more efficient.
2. Contrastive linguistics - theory and application
Contrastive linguistics is a very broad field of linguistics, since it embraces all its major levels: phonology, semantics, syntax and pragmatics, the latter including text studies and some aspects of the sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic perspective. Especially pragmatics, which portrays language as a social-cultural phenomenon intertwined with the subjective reality as perceived by the speakers, is the essential ingredient that was until recently missing, and this fact probably doomed early contrastive studies to failure.
Whenever we decide to contrast languages, we should first determine the criteria for our analysis, because obviously two objects may appear similar or different, depending on the category we choose to compare.
1. Introduction
Contrastive analysis is a very controversial field of applied linguistics, especially in regard to its role in the language teaching process. There have been times when comparing languages was considered to be the very foundation of language teaching, and those when any reference to the mother tongue was absolutely forbidden. The aim of this paper is to show some misconceptions about contrastive linguistics in general and present the most frequently stated arguments in favour of and against it. The paper touches both the theoretical and applied branches of contrastive studies and attempts to throw some light on the cultural and pragmatic aspects of this topic as well. In pursue of this aim it is important to consider the state of the art viewpoints as opposed to the opinions of the sixties and seventies, as these have experienced radical changes under the influence of new insights and developments in linguistics and language teaching methodology. Finally, I would like to suggest some ways of using contrastive analysis in the classroom with the object of making the learning process easier and more efficient.
2. Contrastive linguistics - theory and application
Contrastive linguistics is a very broad field of linguistics, since it embraces all its major levels: phonology, semantics, syntax and pragmatics, the latter including text studies and some aspects of the sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic perspective. Especially pragmatics, which portrays language as a social-cultural phenomenon intertwined with the subjective reality as perceived by the speakers, is the essential ingredient that was until recently missing, and this fact probably doomed early contrastive studies to failure.
Whenever we decide to contrast languages, we should first determine the criteria for our analysis, because obviously two objects may appear similar or different, depending on the category we choose to compare.
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