2。2。2 Features of Interlanguage

Native and target languages are spoken as the first language, so the features of them cannot be applied in the interlanguage。 But Chen (2011) proposes that learners’ speech or writing records their learning process, which will definitely be influenced by several factors, such as their age, language level, learning environment and learning strategies as well。 Therefore, interlanguage has its inherent rules, leading the construction of the learners’ language system。 In general, the features are generalized as follows。 

a。 Interlanguage is systematic。 

Like other natural languages, interlanguage has its own consistent system。 Its systematicity exists both synchronically and diachronically。 In other words, it’s not only a system with internal consistency at any stage of the development of interlanguage, but the development from one stage to the other is governed by certain rules。 

b。 Interlanguage is variable。 

Interlanguage varies both synchronically and diachronically。 Related researches in the past have already proved that systematicity and variability co-exist。 On the whole, interlanguage varies in two aspects。 First, interlanguage is under constant development。 As a result, based on different language levels, learners often use different variants to express the same concept。 Second, no matter how interlanguage develops, its variation is restricted by several factors。 And the factors can be pided into three aspects: language aspect (language environment and language transfer); development aspect (the level of target language); context aspect (style, task and the subject of the conversation)。 Actually, these factors are interwoven with each other when used to pose an impact on the learning process。  论文网

c。 Learner language is permeable。 

Adjemian firstly proposed this feature in 1976。 He believes the interlanguage is an open system, which means interlanguage can be penetrated by the rules and forms of both mother tongue and the target language。 This feature can be reflected in two aspects。 In terms of influence of mother tongue, permeability can be classified into positive transfer and negative transfer。 In terms of implication from the target language, permeability can be seen in overgeneralization。 

d。 Interlanguage is characterized by fossilization。

Selinker (1972) holds the view that only 5% of language learners can reach the same psychological grammar level as the native speakers。 Fossilization, a unique phenomenon in second language acquisition, in which the words, rules tend to retain in interlanguage no matter how old the learners are and no matter how much the learners have been instructed and this trend cannot be addressed (Selinker, 1972: 211), contributes to a majority of learners’ failure in reaching the high level language competence。 Although some learners are thought to be at the optimum period of acquiring a language, they are not able to obtain the equal language competence as native speakers。 

There are several factors resulting in fossilization, such as application of the rules from mother language to the target language, the misunderstanding of the rules from the target language as well as the simplification of the rules from the target language。

2。2。3 Studies on Interlanguage

Since the 1970s, western psycholinguistics have devoted to explore the field of interlanguage, which is uttered by non-native speakers aiming to find out the rules those foreign language learners apply。 And interlanguage theories have been brought into China during recent years。 The study intends to overview the related researches on the interlanguage both in China and abroad, which provides the theoretical basis for the following empirical study。 

2。2。3。1 An Overview of Interlanguage Researches Abroad