| Interlanguage fossilization is a popular issue of second language acquisition (SLA) research, and has not been sufficiently explored on both theoretical and empirical levels in the literature. This thesis details the characteristics and causes of fossilization. On the basis of the insightful understanding of interlanguage fossilization, this paper makes an attempt at analyzing the features of fossilization tendency of Chinese college non-English majors and based on this, discusses some pedagogical implications for the prevention and treatment for this phenomenon."Fossilization" refers to the phenomenon in SLA that second language learners fail to reach target language competence. Usually it refers to specific second language errors becoming firmly entrenched in interlanguage.The causes of fossilization have been analyzed on biological, sociocultural, linguistic, communicative, cognitive and psychological domains. On biological domain, Lenneberg(1967) claims that there is a critical period, in which lateralization of the brain is completed. After the period, complete mastery of a language is impossible. Lamendella (1977) maintains that at least there is a sensitive period, during which second language acquisition is most efficient. According to Schumann's Acculturation Model, the more a L2 learner is adapted to the target culture, the shorter the social and psychological distance, the more successful he will be in SLA. From linguistic point of view, L1 interference is identified by Selinker et al as an important factor causing fossilization. Krashen (1985) states that insufficient input is the most obvious cause of fossilization, esp. for foreign language students. Inadequate quality or deviant input can also result in fossilization. Vigil & Oiler's Feedback Model analyzes fossilization from communicative point of view. According to this model, negative affective feedback usually causes fossilization, and so does positive affective feedback workingtogether with positive cognitive feedback. The ideal feedback is positive affective feedback working together with negative cognitive feedback. From psychological point of view, language learning is a skill learning and involves a "plateau", i.e., a stabilization period. If the "plateau" is not overcome, fossilization follows. Besides the above main theoretical explanations, the causes of fossilization are also attributed to learning strategies, the brain's cognitive limitations, parameters, markedness of L1 and L2, etc. With the deepening of SLA research, the research topics of fossilization are being enriched.In Section III of the paper, the common grammatical errors of some high school graduates and college sophomores are studied and analyzed, with the purpose of revealing the tendency of fossilization of Chinese college non-English majors. It is shown that the errors in fixed expression, verb form, word class, diction, word spelling and Chinglish tend to fossilize.In the fourth section, the implications of the study of fossilization for college English teaching have been explored. Four issues are discussed. One is the goal for college English teaching. A realistic goal for college English teaching is "considerable communicative competence", neither native-speaker competence nor only linguistic competence. This goal means in teaching fluency and accuracy should be given due attention. The second issue is grammar teaching. Grammar teaching is held to be able to destabilize interlanguage grammar and prevent fossilization (Ellisl995). In view of the fossilized errors in the learners' composition and the backwash effect of CET-4, the present author argues that in grammar teaching at college, core grammar rather than peripheral grammar should be stressed. Special emphasis should be given to those features that show high tendency of fossilization. Inductive grammar teaching and communicative grammar teaching are recommended to help raise learners' grammar awareness and integrate form and meaning. The third issue is quality of classroom input. To guarantee...
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