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Unit 30: Language Teaching Analysis: Contrastive Analysis, Error Analysis

woman, or as Bolinger has said, ‘Linguistics to teaching is chemistry to medicine.’ Hence the ultimate Notes
decisions have to be made by the teacher himself. Even Mackey and Chomsky have accepted the role
of linguistics. Mackey writes :
Although the ability to analyse a language may not be the most important qualification of a
language teacher, some training in practical linguistics can enable him to establish with more
precision than he otherwise might be able to do, as to what is the same and what is different in
the languages with which he has to deal. It can also help him to understand, evaluate, and
perhaps use some of the descriptions of the language he is teaching. And if the training is
neither too one-sided nor doctrinaire it may prevent him from becoming the prisoner of a single
school of thought and encourage him to surmount the great terminological barriers which have
prevented any mutual understanding in linguistics.
Noam Chomsky does not reject the use of linguistics in the teaching of language completely other, he
observes :
Teachers, in particular, have a responsibility to make sure (the linguists’) idea and proposal are
evaluated on their merits and not passively accepted on grounds of authority, real or presumed.
It is possible— even likely—that principles of psychology and linguistics, and research in these
disciplines may supply useful insights to the language teacher. But this must be demonstrated
and cannot be presumed. It is the language teacher himself who must validate or refute any
specific proposal.’
Chomsky further adds :
there are certain tendencies and developments within linguistics and psychology that may
have some potential impact on the teaching of language. I think these can be usefully summarized
under four main headings : the ‘creative’ aspect of language use; the abstractness of linguistic
representation; the universality of underlying linguistic structure, the role of intrinsic
organization in cognitive process.
What Chomsky is suggesting is not a rejection of linguistics, but a synthesis of pedagogy, psychology
and linguistics. Then there are strong advocates of linguistics. Paul Roberts says that linguistics has
provided with a suitable subject matter for the teaching of English, and goes on to add : ‘It gives us
something that is teachable, interesting, and pertinent, and that is what most distinguishes it from
traditional grammar’. Sol Saporta is of the opinion : “If linguistics has any contribution to make to
language learning, it is this : to make explicit in general and in particular what is learned.” And then
there is the testimony of Pit Corder who says :

“The application of linguistics to language teaching is an indirect one. It is not a single-stage
operation. That is why many teachers, when first introduced to linguistics, see no relevance in
it for their work and, conversely, why many linguists unacquainted with language teaching in
practice disclaim any practical usefulness for their work. The fact seems to be that only those
who are familiar with both linguistics and language teaching, are in a position to discern the
relation between the two.”
Hence there can be no doubt about the relevance of linguistics to foreign language or second language
teaching. But we have yet to find out answers to questions like the following :
• What kind of linguistics do we need for the purpose of foreign or second language teaching ?
• How much of it do we need ?
• When and in what form are we going to use it ?

30.3 Contrastive and Error Analysis

Languages is important from the point of view of translation theory, language typology and study of
language universals.Contrastive analysis of two languages point at the specific features of each
language system in its major areas: phonology, morphology, lexicology, syntax, text analysis. The
knowledge about the kinds and degree of differences and similarities between languages on a number
of linguistic levels helps in the process of anticipating possible difficulties with learners.

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