A Study Of Second Language Classroom Instruction And Fossilization

It is a distinguishing characteristic of second language acquisition that the interlanguage of a second language learner fossilizes at some stage of its development. Fossilization seems to be a universal phenomenon in second language acquisition and it derives from multiple factors. For the past three decades, there has been a rather widespread conviction among second language (L2) teachers and researchers that instruction prevents fossilization; and the L2 research on instruction to date has primarily focused on revealing its positive effects on L2 learning, yet little is known as to whether instruction can also have any negative impact on learning.However, it must be pointed out that there are very few empirical or theoretical researches into the claim"formal instruction serves to prevent fossilization"(Ellis, 1989). This thesis tries to give a comprehensive analysis of the potential positive and negative impact of instruction on learning to dispel the myth. After analyzing several different definitions of fossilization, and classifying the various casual variables, the thesis centers on the discussion of instruction's assistance to acquisition and its promotion of fossilization.It reveals that instruction, not being omnipotent, if carried out improperly, can inhibit learning due to the existence of three major sources of constraints on classroom learning: input (from teacher talk, teaching materials and peer talk), teaching strategies (teaching objective, teaching procedures), and practice opportunities. Owing to the existence of setting-internal constraints, instruction has two-fold significance: encouraging and discouraging. On the one hand, it exerts a positive effect on Second Language Acquisition; on the other hand, it places a negative influence on it by restricting learners'learning experience. Inasmuch as it stifles or impedes development, instruction is also an important source of fossilization.