Abstract: Interlanguage fossilization is a common phenomenon in second language acquisition. This paper reviews the important achievements in the study of interlanguage fossilization, analyzing its definition, types and causes. And then find some ways to reduce the interference of interlanguage fossilization in second language learning.

Key words: interlanguage; fossilization; second language learning

中图分类号： H315.9文献标识码： A文章编号：1672-1578（2011)09-0003-03

1 Introduction

Its almost impossible for a second language learner to have the ability of using the same level of the language as the native speakers do. Researchers have found that before the interlanguage of a second language learner reaches the same level of the target language, it will stop developing, and the learner cannot fully master the target language. When this happens, fossilization is formed. Interlanguage fossilization is a common phenomenon in second language learning. It is hard to eliminate, and sometimes it will be permanent.

The term “interlanguage” is first proposed by Selinker in 1969. It is a language systerm used between the learners native language and the target language by second language learners. It has the characteristics of both the learners native language and the target language, and gradually is close to the target language, but not the real target language. In Selinkers paper “Interlanguage” (1972), he explained the term “interlanguage” in detail and at the same time, he made “fossilization” an important process in interlanguage. Hence, in the following decades, researches in different fields and stages about interlanguage developed greatly.

Dai Weidong and Niu Qiang in their paper “Interlanguage Fossilization and FLT” shows that foreign language learners have to experience a plateau in terms of psychology, a climax in terms of language proficiency through an analysis of the causes of interlanguage fossilization. Therefore, he suggests that foreign language teachers should pay attention to how to help learners to improve language proficiency before fossilization occurs.

In her paper “A Cognitive Study of Fossilization”, Zhang Xuemei introduces two skill theories to further unveil the possible causes of fossilization in the light of cognitive learning models. And gives some suggestions on how to prevent and reduce fossilization.

Chen Huiyuan considers the causes of fossilization are mainly(1) language transfer, in which the learner projects features of the Ll onto L2. (2)the lack of real environment of the target language.(“A discussion on the sources of fossilization”).

In “A Research into Interlanguage and Its Fossilization in Second Language Acquisition”, Wu Dinge present some exploration of interlanguage and its fossilization from two aspects: the nature and features of interlanguage, and the major causes of its fossilization; the significance of the research to second language acquisition and the effect on it.

Gao Yun and Zhu Jingyuns paper“Emergence of Language Fossilization and Strategies to Prevent It” based on Selinkers ideas on interlanguage fossilization, analyses in great details the processes that may cause interlanguage fossilization, and then in reference to problems with Chinese students who learn English, puts forward some suggestions for avoiding this.

Liu Limin and Liu Shuang think that interlanguage resulted from the autonomous creativity of the language acquisition mechanism of the second language learners in the construction of a new mental grammar system of the target language.(“On the Psycholinguistic Mechanism of Interlanguage”)

Dai Weidong and Cai Longquan in “The Epistemic Basis for Interlanguage” consider the relationship between a systematic cognition of interlanguage and linguistic, psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic variables and the variable of the interlanguage system, then further result in an interlanguage cognition schema, which guide and govern the cognition of L2 acquisition.

Zhou Yunhong in her article“The fossilization phenomenon” presents her tentative views on language fossilization in the light of neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, cognitive linguistics as well as the theories in SLA. She also discusses measures to deal with fossilization concerning its manifestations.

the paper “An Analysis of the Lexical Features of a Chinese EFL Learners Interlanguage at the Discourse Level”, written by Chang Xinping, analyzes the lexical features of a Chinese EFL learners interlanguage at the discourse level. As a special kind of discourse, interlanguage has its particular features at different levels. The awareness and explicit knowledge of those features will be of great help to the understanding of the foreign language learning process and the interlanguage system itself.

2 Causes of interlanguage fossilization

2.1 Types of interlanguage fossilization

Selinker divides interlanguage fossilization into two main types: individual fossilization and group fossilization. Individual fossilization of a second language learner can be showed in the following two aspects: error reappearance, which is repeated by the learner after being corrected several times; language competence fossilization, which is the fossilization in phonetics, syntax and vocabulary. Group fossilization is one which has become the common feature of the whole society, and leads to the formation of a new dialect, for example, Indian English and Philippine English.

According to the features of interlanguage fossilization, it can also be divided into temporary fossilization and permanent fossilization. The fossilization of most second language learners in China belong to the former type, i.e. temporary fossilization. Therefore, if these learners have the chance to receive the optimal input (Krashen 1982) or have the contact with the natural target language environment, their L2 learning will achieve another climax.

2.2 Causes of interlanguage fossilization

Selinker (1972) suggested that interlanguage is the product of five central cognitive processes involved in L2 learning: 1) language transfer, in which the learner projects features of the Ll onto L2. In L2 learning, the learner can hardly master the grammar rules of target language, and therefore, they use the rules of their native language to deal with the target language information consciously or unconsciously.When the features in target language are similar to that in their native language, it will form positive transfer; otherwise, it may cause negative transfer, resulting in interlanguage fossilization if used for long time. 2) transfer of training, when teaching creates language rules that are not part of the L2.On one hand, transfer of training refers to the interlanguage used by the L2 teachers, which is not native or improper. The improper or even wrong output taken in by the L2 learners may give them the misunderstanding about certain rules in target language. On the other hand, the improper use of language material may also cause transfer of training, such as the fictitious rather than real language input. 3) strategies of second language learning. The most common phenomenon causing interlanguage fossilization is to simplify the target language while using it; the most obvious simplification is reflected in the syntax. 4) strategies of second language communication. For example, when the learner omits communicatively redundant grammatical items and produces "It was interesting film" leaving out "an", they can achieve the aim of communicating, but it weakens their learning motivation. Hence they will stop learning or they wont value the importance of learning any more. 5) overgeneralization of target language linguistic material, in which the learners try to use L2 rules in ways which it does not permit, as in the example "What does Peter doing now?"

According to Ellis，there are internal causes and external causes of interlanguage fossilization. Internal causes include the factors of age, and lack of desire to combine with the culture of the target language; while external causes involve the factors of communicative pressure, lack of study opportunity and feedback nature.

Chen Huiyuan considers the causes of fossilization are mainly as follows: (1) language transfer, in which the learner projects features of the Ll onto L2. (2)the lack of real environment of the target language.

Liu Limin and Liu Shuang think that interlanguage resulted from the autonomous creativity of the language acquisition mechanism of the second language learners in the construction of a new mental grammar system of the target language.

3 Significance of the study of interlanguage fossilization

Interlanguage fossilization is one of the most important parts in second language acquisition, and it plays a positive role with great significance in L2 learning.

(1) Interlanguage fossilization is a natural phenomenon in

L2 learning. It is not the stumbling block, neither a show of failure in language learning. On knowing this, the L2 learners will relieve from fear, and strengthen their confidence in language learning. Learners should realize the differences between their mother tongue and the target language and through practice gradually absorb the features of the target language. Then they can get a second climax in L2 learning.

(2) For the L2 teachers, after knowing the nature of fossilization, they can adjust their teaching method according to the students development in language learning. In addition to that, the teachers should be aware of their quantity and quality of the target language output in order to prevent the L2 learners from using the same knowledge all the time. Moreover, its very important to improve the teachers professional quality, as some of the fossilization are caused by teachers training.

During the teaching process teachers should help the students find the similarities between Chinese and English in order to facilitate the formation of positive transfer. At the same time, they may also work out on the differences between the two languages and forecast the possible errors in students interlanguage learning, and try to avoid those errors.

(3) To effectively prevent the fossilization, teachers and students must form a positive interaction. Interaction between teachers and students can promote their communication, and gives effective feedback to each other. Thus it can improve students' interest in learning. At the same time, teachers can easily grasp students' learning progress, which enables students to reflect on their learning methods and strategies timely, and gradually improve their foreign language skills.

4 Summary

Through reviewing these studies on interanguage

fossilization, we can find that although so many linguists have analyzed the fossilization of interlanguage and pointed out its causes and significance, many of the analyses are only the basic theory and assumption. Not so many people do the empirical study, which is vital to solve the problem. As to those empirical study, they mainly research into interlanguage fossilization through writings of college students, and have achieved success to some extent. However, interlanguage fossilization does not only exist in writing, but it may also appear in speaking and other aspects, where we have rare researchers. We can from this point have deep investigations in interlanguage fossilization. On the other hand, some of the theories have their own shortcomings. We have to do lot of research and analyses so that we could find the effective ways to prevent or retard the fossilization.

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作者简介：李霄露（1981—），女，山东济宁人，济宁学院外国语系助教，研究方向：外国语言学及应用语用学。