Causes and Countermeasures of Interlanguage Fossilization on Oral English Teaching

Yang Meichen

（Foreign Languages College Chengdu University of Technology，Chengdu Sichuan 610000）

Abstract：Currently,with the increasing frequency of international communication,colleges and universities pay increasing attention to the cultivation of students'oral English communication ability,but the interlanguage fossilization hinders the improvement of learners'oral English ability,which leads to learners'inability to communicate in English accurately and fluently.Therefore,this paper starts from the fossilization of interlanguage,explores its enlightenment and significance to college oral English teaching,in order to effectively improve oral English teaching.

Key words：interlanguage;fossilization;oral English teaching

一、I nt r oduct i on

With the development of society and the higher requirements for the cultivation of talents,the educational objectives of higher education have transform accordingly.Generally speaking ability of English talents is required to be improved,due to speaking ability of English reflects language ability on the one hand,and the requirements of professional ability on the other hand,all industries have high expectations for it.

1.Transfer of Mother Tongue

In the early stage of second language learning,learners have a strong sense of dependence on their mother tongue,and are prone to to use the rules of their mother tongue to recognize the rules of the target language,resulting in some language errors.At this time,the mother tongue has a negative transfer to the target language learning,also known as interference.The negative transfer of Chinese pronunciation is mainly reflected in inaccurate pronunciation and improper use of pronunciation rules.Chinese learners frequently ignore the phenomenon of conjunction,weak reading and explosion in English pronunciation,and always hope to pronounce each sound very clearly.There are some differences in intonation between Chinese and English.Improper use of intonation can cause ambiguity.In terms of vocabulary,the negative transference is not appropriate for collocation,misuse of part of speech,singular and plural nouns,etc.The negative transfer of Chinese is generally manifested in tenses.In addition to native language knowledge,the way of thinking and cognition of native language will also affect the way of oral expression.The diversities between English and Chinese cultures lead to the differences in language expression and pragmatic rules.In the process of oral English learning,errors caused by the transfer of mother tongue are not corrected in time,which will lead to the fossilization of these errors.

2.Over Generalization ofTarget Language

Over generalization of the target language can also lead to wrong linguistic forms.The learners who cause this kind of language errors frequently have a certain level of English,but their mastery of the target language is not comprehensive and correct.Richards(1971)points out the form of fossilization caused by over generalization of the target language:Learners mistakenly generalize a language structure according to two structural features of the target language,misuse of the application environment of rules,inadequate application of rules and wrong concepts based on assumptions.As an example,in English learning,learners over generalize the rules of change of different tense verbs,and think that the singular form of the third person only adds'-s'at the end of the verb,and the past tense and past participle only add'-ed'at the end of the verb,ignoring the irregular change of the verb.

3.Learning Strategy

In second language acquisition,the use of different learning strategies determines the way in which input information is recognized,used and stored.Negative learning strategies will make students lose their initiative in learning,lack of interest,learning difficult to progress,and eventually lead to'fossilization'phenomenon.

二、Count er measur es of Inter l anguage Fossi li zation in Or al Engl i sh

1.Combination of Formal Teaching and Communicative Teaching

The communicative teaching in oral English teaching emphasizes the development of learners'pragmatic communicative competence,but over emphasis on communication weakens learners'acquisition of the formal structure of language,leading to the fossilization of students'English competence.A large number of theories and practices illustrate that meaning centered teaching is not as effective as expected in promoting the development of interlanguage,and form must be paid attention to in communicative teaching(He Lianzhen,Wang Min,2004).Communicative teaching method helps students improve their oral fluency,while formal teaching guides students to pay attention to and learn language forms,pay attention to the training of basic language skills such as voice,intonation,vocabulary,grammar and sentence structure,strengthen the points of pragmatic and conversational communication skills,make students'interlanguage closer to the target language in terms of language rules,and ensure the accuracy of language.Therefore,oral English teaching should combine formal teaching with communicative teaching,focusing on form in meaning.

2.Improvement the Quality and Quantity of Input and Output

Krashen(1982)holds that the insufficient quantity and improper quality of the target language input are one of the factors for the formation of language fossilization.Sufficient and optimal language input is the premise and foundation of effective output,while pouring attention into the quality of language input is the guarantee of language acquisition.No matter whether English major or not,college students'English level has reached a certain stage.The input and use of materials should be based on the mastery of learners'level.The use of oral language teaching materials should strengthen the oral ability of spoken language content.As an example,before class,students can be arranged to participate in discussions on some related topics in combination with the content of the textbook,enrich their understanding of the topic,and try to choose words that are consistent with the actual life in the process of guidance.

三、Concl usi on

The purpose of language learning is to facilitate communication with people and to be able to communicate well,so oral expression ability is a crucial part of language learning.The key is to attract attention and eliminate mistakes so that language learning can continue.Teachers and learners should cooperate with each other and work together to cope with the problem of fossilization of spoken English,so that oral English ability can continue to rise to a new level.

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