Interlanguage Theory And Its Implications For The Construction Of English Teachers’ Professional Quality

Interlanguage theory (IL theory), as one major and important theory insecond language acquisition (SLA), is considered as an effective way to studylanguage-learner language, which also has become one of the significantproject to probe by many teachers and researchers both at home and abroad.Selinker (1972) proposed “IL hypothesis”, Corder (1967,1971) used“transitional competence” and “idiosyncratic dialects” and Nemser (1971)adopted “approximative systems” to refer to the same phenomenon, whichformed the early frame of IL theory. Although various alternative terms havebeen used by the three researchers to refer to the same phenomenon，they allagree with one assumption underlying IL theory, that is: Language-learnerlanguage system refers to the systematic and evolving language system whichis independent of both the learner’s mother tongue and the target language heis trying to learn; or sometimes we use “IL continuum” to refer to this kind ofsystematic and evolving language system. According to IL theory, IL aslanguage-learner language possesses three main characteristics, that is,language-learner language is permeable, dynamic and systematic; and thereseems to exist a series of transitional language levels when a learner startingfrom his native language to fully reach the level of the target language (i.e.:the end of the IL continuum), and learning a second language(L2) is adynamic process which may begin with numerous errors to few errors untilgradually closing to the target language level. The concept of IL theory above can provide a positive perspective for teachers to treat the errors and mistakesduring the process of students’ English learning; in other words, IL, aslanguage-learner language, it should not be regarded as an imperfect languagesystem but a flexible language continuum which is constantly evolving to thetarget language.Teaching is a professional occupation which needs specialized skills;professional development has become a significant issue faced by everyteacher, and the development of professional quality goes along with everyteacher’s teaching career. To some extent, teachers’ professional quality playsa central role in the total factors affecting the quality of teaching. Therefore, toimprove the quality of English teaching, English teachers’ professional qualitymust be improved first. At present, there are lots of studies concerning aboutthe construction of English teachers’ professional quality; however, it isdifficult to reach a consensus among their statements. In this thesis, the authoradopts the view that English teachers’ professional quality mainly includestwo parts, namely:“capacity of English knowledge” and “quality of languageteaching”. Since English learning occupies a very important role and nearlygoes through the entire learning stages of all students, thus, to study how toapply the related theories of language acquisition to teaching to furtherimprove English teachers’ professional quality and then to promote furtherteaching, which has become an urgent subject to be solved.This thesis analyzes the professional quality factors which are shortage but have the most significant impact on teaching by starting from theperspective of IL theory in SLA, based on the related research data of “TheInvestigation of the Construction of English Teachers’ Professional Quality inChina’s Western Area and the Countermeasures—Taking Guizhou as anExample” supported by The Special Assistant Project Fund for High-levelPersonnel Research Conditions in Guizhou Province(TZJF-2009年28号), andcombined with the practices of English teacher training both for primary andsecondary schools in Guizhou Province (i.e. the National Training Plan).Through a multidimensional analysis of the factors affecting English teachers’professional quality, combining with IL theory, this thesis tries to probe intosome implications on the construction of English teachers’ professionalquality, the implications this thesis has reached are the following: ⅰ. Treatstudents’ errors and mistakes with a tolerance and objective attitude during theprocess of English learning; ⅱ. Try to make positive and objective evaluationto students’ language production, encourage them to communicate and givesome reasonable feedback; ⅲ. Take a distinct view towards students’ errorsand mistakes during learning, and apply different corrective feedbackstrategies; ⅳ. Have a proper control over the usage of IL among students, toavoid the phenomenon of fossilization; ⅴ. Create a harmonious environment;reasonably control the affective filter factors to reduce the anxiety of learning.In short, when English teachers possessed the quality of knowing somelanguage acquisition theories (such as IL theory), they would have an objective attitude towards students’ language performance in classroom;besides, they can objectively look upon IL which is imperfect compared withthe target language but have a reasonable status to exist; which in turn canfurther perfect the construction of their professional quality and then conductmore effective English teaching. At the end of this thesis, IL theory study andits positive significance and implications on the construction of Englishteachers’ professional quality are again emphasized, and some limitations ofthe current research are also suggested.