The document defines inter-language as the language system produced by second and foreign language learners who are in the process of learning a new language. Inter-language develops based on rules from the learner's first language and the target language, and may not reflect features of either. The inter-language system changes over time as rules are altered, deleted, or added. Learners progress through stages from early approximations of the target language to later intermediate and final stages. Fossilization occurs when errors become impossible to correct despite ability and motivation.

1. Inter-language Theory
Presented to:
Ma’am Mehwish

2. Group Members
Iqra Khan
Zaib-un-Nisa
Muhammad Umar
Anum Fatima

3. This term was defined by Larry Selinker in
1972

4. Definition
Inter-language is the type of language produced
by second- and foreign- language learners who
are in the process of learning a language. They
developed inter-language by the system of rules
1) properties and rules of L1
2) properties and rules of L2
3) can also not possess features of neither

5. Inter-language Rules
Learners’ inter-language changes with time
 Rules are altered
 Rules are deleted
 Rules are added

6. The Continuum Of Inter-language
Development
From native language forms to target language
forms includes three stages
- Basilang – the earliest form of target language
development
- Mesolang- the intermediate stage of target
language development
- Acrolang - the final stage of target language
development

7. Inter-language Development
Continuum

8. Process of Inter-language
Inter-
language
Overgeneralization
Transfer
Internal
sequence

9. FOSSILIZATION PROCESS

10. Inter-language Fossilization
 Inter-language fossilization is a stage
during SLL.
 It occurs when certain mistakes
seem to be impossible to correct in spite of the
ability and motivation, learners cannot
rectify and replace it with correct usage

11. Why does fossilization happens
Frequent use
Reinforcement of
communication process
Lack of correction

12. Selinker’s Five Fossilization
Process Steps
 Over-generalization
 Transfer of training
 Language transfer
 Strategies of SLL
 Strategies of SL communication

13. 1) Over-generalization
 Learner makes their own rules of language
 The act or process of over-generalizing
 The process of extending the application of a rule
 Learners use rules from Second Language
Example:
I walked to produce forms like *I goed or *I rided.

14. 2) Transfer of Training
The lack of formal instruction in English
Fossilization of incorrect language forms
Result of initial learning process on the
performance of the later activities
Fossilization due to certain features found in
the instruction via which the learner is taught
the SL

15. 3) Language Transfer
 The errors in the use of L2 result mainly from
L1,and the difference between L1 and the L2 is
the reason for the occurrence of errors
Positive
transfer
Negative
transfer

16. 4) Strategies of SLL
 Fossilization due to some approaches to the
learning of L2 material adopted by the learner
 It involves Incorrect Learning strategies
fossilization of some features (phonological,
morphological, syntactic, lexical,
psycholinguistic, or socio-cultural)

17. 5) Strategies of SL
communication
 Concern when the communication is going on
 Pays attention to the fluency rather than
accuracy in the communication
 Learner tries to simplifies the TL rules
 Fossilization due to some approaches used the
learner when communicating with L2 native
speakers

18. INTER-LANGUAGE
PRODUCTION

19. Inter-language is the production of
SL and FL learners
In language learning, learner’s language is
caused by several process like
Borrowing Pattern From MT
Extending patterns from TL
Expressing meanings using the words
and grammar which are already known.

20. Characteristics of Inter-language
Production
 SL speakers rarely conform the production of
native speaker
 Inter-language productions are not exact
translation of native language utterances
 Utterances in second language are not
randomly produce
 Inter-languages are spoken either by adults or
by children, when second language acquisition
is not simultaneous with that of the first
language.

21. GOOD POINTS & BAD POINTS

22. Good Points
 Natural and systematic Theory of language like
L1 acquisition
 Learner becomes active participant to construct
the rules by himself
 This study can help to determine what a learner
already knows about the rules
 The concept of IL has liberated language
teaching methods

23. Good Points
 It determines what a leaner has taught and
when and how in a particular SL teaching
programme.

24. Bad Points
 Limited explanatory power
 EA improves errors in IL but too much
correction can lead to lack of motivation
 The learner needs to be restricted to important
errors only
 This theory cant determine the exact position
of the learner in between L1 or L2 Will be
interpreted

25. Conclusion
The theory of IL was the first major attempt
to explain the process of SLL, in term of
mentalist perspectives. It has been
gradually developed by the hands of
numerous researches at this time it
becomes much refined theory and also
contributed a lot in developing many other
theories of SLA

26. ANY QUESTION