SOUCE OF ERROR : INTERLINGUAL TRANSFER

The SLA researchers and structuralist tradition prior to the 1960s strictly emphasized that learners' errors in second language must be prevented and, in case of occurrence, corrected at all causes. They were believed to destroy the whole process of language learning.

Over the past few decades, however, attitudes towards learners' errors have undergone significant changes following the changes in the methodological approaches to foreign language teaching, new insights about the nature and significance of errors, andrevolutionary research into the nature of inter language (Corder 1967, 1976, 1981, Selinker 1972, 1984,Eckman 1981, 1984) . Errors are no longer seen as devil signs of failure to be prevented and eradicated. On the contrary, errors are considered signs of developmental processes involved in the learning of language.

The significant contributions of language learners' errors to the field of language learning and teaching have been widely reiterated in the literature ( Keshavarz 1994, Corder 1967, Richards 1971). H. D. Brown (2007) maintains that by a gradual process of trial and error and hypothesis testing, learners slowly and tediously succeeded in establishing closer and closer approximations to the systems used by native speakers of the language.

SOURCE OF ERROR

As we know , that the student often do the error in language learning especially in English . As a teacher , we can try to repair them although may it’s not in short time . Therefore , we must know the causes of that errors first . In source of error , we can divide it for 2 parts , they are :

„  Interlingual transfer

„  Intralingual transfer

INTERLINGUAL TRANSFER

Interlingual errors are said to occur due to the interference of L1 into L2. In this case previous learned structures create problems for the learner to learn new language . Interlingual errors are the result of language transfer which is caused by the learners’ first language (MT) . It occurs at different levels such as transfer of phonological, morphological, grammatical elements of the native language (L1) into the Target Language.

a.       Phonological level

Phonologically speaking, there are certain features specific to any individual language. Such features may not be found in another language, or even if they exist in another language, they may take new characteristics which again make them distinctive features in that particular language . The sounds that do not occur in Bhs Indonesia cause the students to mispronounce them. They attempt to pronounce them.

Examples :

-       Van /væn/   = Mobil gerbong

Fan /fæn/    = Kipas angin

-       Sea/si:/        = Laut

She /ʃi:/       = Dia (pr)

b.      Morphology level

In morphology level , student’s error is about they who don’t understand to use morphology in English . For example , we will use one topic is about affixation (prefix , suffix) . That errors can be happened it’s cause our mother tongue (Indonesia) doesn’t have this rule . For singular we can write one word,for example buku and for plural we just need to repeat the word twice buku-buku . Almost for Indonesian language use this role , and no others roles more .

Examples :

-       Many book(s)

-       One trouser(s)

-       Five box(es)

c.       Grammatically level

In this kind of error , it’s cause many students don’t understand with English . Grammar of english has many rules that must be applied especially in writing . Whereas in our mother tongue , the rules are not as difficult as English . The student who do this kind of error , often use the grammar of their mother tongue to English and it’ll make wrong perception because every language has their culture themselves . For example we can take a rule of English grammar in plural / singular .

Examples :

-       Three student is coming to the library

-       She bring the childs to the garden.

-       Six mouse eats the cheese

d.      Lexico-semantic level

Student often translate one by word without learn the context or situation . In English one word has many meanings . For example get the meaning it’s not just mendapatkan but there are the others meaning more . We also must learn about the context , whether that word is suitable to use or not because in english there are idoms too . That error make misunderstand if we talk with native speaker .

Examples :

-       I am working 24 o’clock each week

-       He gives the shock to his girlfriend

-       That’s free . You needn’t pay it