ENG504 Midterm Solved Papers by Maha Malik

1. Swain believes that the activity of producing target language may push the learner to become _____- of gaps and problem in their current SL system (Aware)
2. Children express relationship between elements in a sentence in a -__- way. (Consistent)
3. Child resists in during acquire a first language.

1. Objections 2.answering 3.selecting 4. Corrections

Q. What is a theory? (Lesson 01)

A ‘theory’ is a more or less abstract set of claims about the significant units within phenomenon under study. It aims at explanation as well as description. Theories are produced collaboratively and evolve through a systematic enquiry. These are assessed through hypothesis testing and involve a reflexive process. A good theory is supposed to give clear and explicit statements about its claims. It must be testable or falsifiable in some way. The linguists view language as a complex communication which must be analyzed on different levels.

Q. What is Property Theory? (Lesson 01)

The linguists are more interested in ‘property theory.’ They are concerned with the structure of the language and how a language changes; how certain words become obsolete; how certain factors lead to the addition of new words and merge them in a language system. In property theory, the language system is important.

Q. Transition theory (Lesson 01)

 ‘Transition theory’ is more concerned with the developmental processes of language education.  It is interested in finding out the different stages of learning in a second language learner.  It can relate to the first language acquisition telling about the different learning stages in a child’s life and how that learning is different or similar to second language learning.

Q. Why Noam Chomsky prefer competence over performance. (Lesson 02)

Noam Chomsky prefers competence over performance. By competence, he refers to the abstract and hidden representation of language knowledge held inside minds with its potential to create and understand original utterances in a given language. However, there are difficulties in studying competence as language performance data are believed to be imperfect reflections of competence. The competence can only be assessed indirectly, under controlled conditions, through wide-ranging tests.

Q. Nature vs. nurture (Lesson 02)

The best known controversy involves B. F. Skinner and Noam Chomsky. Skinner advocates behaviorist mechanisms; whereas, Chomsky emphasized the role of innate dispositions that expect natural languages to be organized in particular ways and support the role of Universal Grammar (UG). The phrase nature and nurture relates to the relative importance of an individual’s innate qualities as compared to an individual’s personal experiences (nurture i.e behaviorism) in causing individual differences, especially in behavioral traits.

Q. What is Chomsky strong criticism on Skinner’s behavior view? (Lesson 02)

Chomsky strongly criticized Skinner’s Behaviorist views on number of issues and rejected the idea that one can compare the behavior of rats in a laboratory, learning to perform simple tasks, to the behaviour of children learning language without direct teaching. Chomsky claimed that children have an innate faculty that guides them in their learning of language.

Q. Errors in behaviourism (Lesson 02)

When we talk about errors in SL utterances, Behaviorists view errors as a result of ‘bad habits’ which can be controlled through rote learning and pattern drilling using target language models. Recent studies contradict this view by claiming that errors and mistakes are patterned although some of them are caused by first language influence, yet this is not true for all of them. Learner’s language system is unstable and characterized by high degree of variability which is a central feature of learner interlanguage.

Q. NOTE ON LANGUAGE TRANSFER (Lesson 03)

Learners’ performance in SL is influenced by the language/languages they already know which are obvious in their accent as well as in certain characteristic mistakes in their utterances. This phenomenon is called language transfer. Behaviorists view it as an important source of error and interference in SLL; whereas, recent theorists find widely differing views on extent and nature of influences. Performing in a language involves speaking, making sense of data we hear, interpreting, and processing incoming language data. Language input is essential for normal language learning. Behaviorist theory saw regular (oral) practice as helpful in forming correct language ‘habits’ whereas the contemporary theorists put emphasis on ‘practice’ function. For instance, information-processing theorists argued that language competence consists of both a knowledge component and a skill component. They see a vital role of SL use or SL performance in developing the skill component.

Q. Fossilization (Lesson 04)

Fossilization refers to the situation when a learner’s SL system seems to ‘freeze’ or become stuck at some more or less deviant stage. When second language learner seems unable to get rid of non-native-like structure despite abundant linguistic input over many years, it is called fossilization. Fossilization in this model would arise as a result of a controlled process becoming automatic prematurely.

Q. What is Negative evidence? (Lesson 04)

Negative evidence means any kind of input that informs about unacceptable forms in the target language. It includes formal correction by teacher and informal paraphrasing by a nativespeaking conversational partner. However, corrections often seem ineffective; therefore, recent theorist put more emphasis on the provision of positive evidence.