Assignment - ATL

Student’s full name: Samson Alexander Nkhalamba

Group: 2017-02

Date: 08/01/2018

IL over generation

Index
Introduction.................................................................................................................................3

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Error analysis.............................................................................................................................4

Conclusion..................................................................................................................................8

Reference………………………………………………………………………………...
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Introduction

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Over generalization is one of the most important processes in the development of the
learner’s interlanguage. It is the over use of the grammatical forms in places where it is
not applied. This over generalization is present to both native child speakers and L2
learners of English.

When analyzing the IL over generalization, it is important to observe the source/reason

of the error within the interlanguage development. This analysis accounts from the
following points within the IL overgeneralization: regularization of verb form,
simplification of some phrases, transfer training, and communication strategy:
paraphrase and avoidance

Therefore, the individual analysis of each data of IL over generalization that follows is
marked from the data that was explored from a student composition. There has been
discussed reason/source of over generalizations of the forms that was taken in the data
and are present in the work. There has also been discussed the strategy/strategies that
the learner came up with that lead the learner to commit such a lexical form error.
There has also been suggested some additional information that was needed to better
analyze the reasons/source of the over generalization of the lexical forms or to test
hypothesis of the committed errors and the relationship between the test and ATL
discussed material.

Error analysis

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Over generalization is one of the fundamental processes in the development of

interlanguage and may be characterized by the extensive use of some grammatical
rules of the L2 where another rule applies. “The starting point for discussing
overgeneralization as a L1 and L2 learning strategy is the concept of interlanguage,
which is considered to be an interim grammar that learners build on their way to full
target language competence” (Ellis, 1994). Thus, though over generalisation is frequent
in L2 but also it occurs in L1 learners as Slinker, L. (1972) quoted by Harakchiyska,T
affirms that, “ [...]just like L2 learners, children who acquire their mother tongue, are
involved in a continual process of formulation of hypotheses about language rules”.

Through this continual formulation of hypotheses, it is when the learner is likely to be

exposed to over generalization until when he/she is capable of generating correct
forms. Thus, both L1 and L2 learners make errors during the process of language
acquisition.

To show the source and strategy the learner has used to form the errors in the data, the
errors are analysed separately below:

In example number 1, the learner has over generalized sporting thinking that many
sports end in –Ing form, for example: skiing, surfing, cycling then also sports in general
may end in an –Ing form. Therefore, the correct sentence could have been: ‘Soccer is
the most common sport’.

Analyzing the second example from the data, the error arises because of the past form
of the verb “refused” and so, since the first verb is in the past form then simplifying the
issue the learner over generalized the following verb “supported” placing it in the past
form to suit the first verb. Moreover, this learner could have been trying to paraphrase
what he has just heard resulting in an error. Probably, this sentence could have been
written like this: America refused to continue supporting our military request. On the
other hand, this learner could have been consciously avoiding the –ing form of the
verb. He may be considering the –ing forms as difficult which lead him to paraphrase

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but in a wrong way by over generalizing the second verb “support” to “supported”.
According to Psychology Wiki, “Paraphrase is restatement of a text or passages,
using other words”.

Regarding the error made by the learner in number 3, the error seems to originate from
the way the learner was taught. This learner seems to have learnt that after the verb
form to go, the –Ing form follows, for example: go swimming, and so, the learner over
generalized the rule forming “went swimming” thus transferring the rule from present to
past. The right sentence could have been: When he was 7 years old, he went to
school. Furthermore within the error committed, the learner omitted ‘to’ which could be
considered as a simplification. Richards, (1971) affirms that, “teachers may
overemphasise, for example, the form of the present continuous, which in turn, may
lead individuals to extending its use to situations where the present simple is required”.

Generally, in number 4, the learner has over generalized the rule that the –ern form is
used when next to a place not as when it stands alone such as west, east south or
north. Therefore, normally here, the learner is confused with lexical chunks such as
Western Europe or Eastern Europe, this is considered as transfer of training where the
teacher didn’t manage to explain the usage of the rule. In this case, the learner
considered that, since it’s next to a place (Bangkok) then east had to take the –ern
form, that’s eastern Bangkok. He forgot that there is a preposition between east and
Bangkok. The correct sentence could have been: About two hours driving east from
Bangkok.

In number 5, the learner considered “studied” as a verb and not as a noun. Thus, there
was confusion between study as a verb and studies as a noun. This could be lack of
proper explanation about word formation where some nouns are formed from verbs. In
addition, since all verbs in the sentence are in the past, then he/she turned the noun
studies into studied changing the meaning to an action that has already been finished.
The right sentence should be: After I finished my college studies, I went back to my
country.

Considering the data in the example number 6, the learner wanted to express
himself/herself in the past, therefore, he/she considered the verb “remove” as the main

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action verb where he/she underlet the importance of the verb “ to have” in the
sentence. As a result, he/she fell in an error. Additionally, may be this learner learnt that
when an action took place in the past, the main verb is supposed to be in the past, he/
she forgot the importance of verb agreement within a sentence. This learner wanted to
express that the doctor had the right (authority) which probably had already taken
place, to remove an organ or anything else or for transplanting. The sentence was
supposed to be: The doctors had the right to remove it from him. The error could be a
result of over generalisation from regularisation of verbs.

From the data collected in the example number 7, it is difficult to determine what the
learner wants to mean. It could be whether the learner wanted to mean that “there was
a night to fall asleep” or “this is a night to fall asleep”. This leaner had apparently learnt
the expression “to fall” which is a lexical chunk and has a similar sound with “for
asleep”. Therefore, this error could be a result from sound similarities of lexical chunks.

In analysis of the data in number 8, the student could have over generalised the noun
conflicts to conflicting to form the a continuous action, thinking that conflict is a verb
forgetting that there is an action verb “lead” which is forming the whole action. On the
other hand, he/she could have been confused with lexical chunks such as conflicting
minds, conflicting interests and so on, so, he decided to omit the second half of the
chunk in order to simply not knowing that he is falling into an error by trying to simplify
a lexical chunk. The correct sentence could have been: Moreover it may lead to
conflicts

Finally, from number 9 in the data, this could be that he/ she is familiar with nouns like
graduation ceremony, school graduation and thought that it could be the same when it
is used as verb and therefore, he/she decided to use the same graduation as a verb by
removing the other half of the compound noun which is a lexical chunk and use it in the
sentence to mean graduate. The right sentence should read: “I am not going to get
married when I will graduate from school” instead of “I am not going to get married
when I will graduation the school”.

Generally, by analysing this data, it is difficult to discover the real causes of these
errors. All in all, it seems that the student had problems on knowing how to use the –ed
form of the past regular verb, applying it at words where they are not applicable. It has

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also been verified that he/she was applying the –ing form at wrong words. It may be
that he/she thought that by applying the –ed/-Ing form to nouns could form new verbs.
This student has also problems with lexical chunks which could be a result of
memorisation of the form usage and applying in inappropriate places.

To test hypothesis, it could be necessary to know the L1 of this student though other
authors like Richards (1974), who confirms that these errors are made regardless of L1
of the student. They are common in all students’ interlanguage that has the same L2.
The other thing is to know the L1 and the level of English of the teacher himself (up to
what extent the teacher does know English) and if these –ed/-Ing forms were taught
properly to the students. Lastly, how the teacher taught and explained the lexical
chunks, how to use, when to use and their differences in different context.

It is true that if the teacher does not know well how to explain the material to students,
he is likely to transfer the error to his/her students. The kind of activities given to
students, for example: transforming sentences are likely to cause these kinds of over
generalisation. That’s, the transfer training over generalisation from teacher to students
is likely to happen due to the kind of activities that are done in lessons. Therefore, this
student will have problems with how to use –ed/-ing form that could be the error from
transfer training through the teacher’s explanation. The student tended to over
generalise words through regularisation and sometimes simplification, which has been
explained in ATL as a tendency to use regular forms as far as possible and trying to
simplify structures where possible. In some places, this student tried to avoid or
paraphrase some words or sentences which some of the communication features of
interlanguage over generalisation.

Conclusion

To sum up, the following pages have analyzed aspects related to the issue of
interlanguage development of a learner, mainly the part of over generalization. The
analysis made from data collected from a student composition has come up with many
sources of over generalization errors which are a result of simplification or
regularization of –ing/-ed forms that is frequent in many L2 learners. Some of the errors
come from the transfer of training which could be from the teacher to the student and

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some are from trying to paraphrase or avoidance of the information from other sources.
And also some of the errors have its source from usage memorization of lexical
chunks. Therefore the errors presented in the data collected from the learners’
composition are a result of misinformation where the errors in boldface in the data in
number 1 and 3 are overgeneralisations of the gerund or present continuous. Errors in
2, 5 and 6 are over generalisation resulting from regularisation of the past tense. And
errors from data in 4, 7, 8 and 9 are the result of misuse of lexical chunks probably
caused by transfer of training.

Although, the analysis had its way through, it has been difficult to discover the real
sources of the over generation. This is so because there are some missing points like
the teacher and student’s L1 and to what extent does the teacher knows English lexical
forms and the methods (tasks) that the teacher used to explain the lexical chunks- that
is, in different contexts. This could have helped the full analysis of the over
generalizations made.

Likewise, teachers are likely to transfer the wrong forms through tasks such as
transformation activities. That’s, the transfer training over generalisation from teacher
to students is likely to happen due to the kind of activities that are done in lessons.

Reference

Ellis, R. (1994.), The Study of Second Language Acquisition, Oxford University Press.

Harakchiyska, T. (2011), Overgeneralization as a Strategy for the Acquisition of L1 and

L2 Noun Morphology (the Category of Number), from: http://conf.uni-

ruse.bg/bg/docs

Psychology Wiki, Paraphrase. Psychology, from: wikia.com/wiki/Paraphrase

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Richards, J.C. (1971), Error analysis and second language strategies. Language
Science

Richards, J.C. (1974), Error analysis. Perspectives on second language acquisition,

Harlow, Essex: Longman.