Due to the fact that fossilization is widely existing and hard to overcome, therefore we have to carry on a further study to facilitate the oral English teaching in our daily life。   Moreover to improve our second language learner’s communicative competence。

The thesis is consisted of the five parts。 The author introduces the background information of the fossilization phenomena and then discusses the importance of the fossilization phenomenon in the first part。 And the author lists interlanguage fossilization phenomena’s literature review, respectively describing the definition of interlanguage and fossilization in the second part in the second part。 In the third part, the author summarizes the causes of interlanguage fossilization phenomenon。 The author finds out potential ways which may be advisable to prevent the fossilization of second language learners in the fourth part。 In the last part, the author arrives at a conclusion of the whole paper。文献综述

2。 Literature Review

2。1 The definition of interlanguage

The behaviorism dominated the linguistic field at the end of the 1960s in relating to the essence of errors。 Interference means first language and target language’s difference。 And interference makes learning become difficult for most second language learners。 In the early 1970s Chomsky raised second language acquisition investigation, which is one of the most important fields of studies in applied linguistics。 Second language acquisition investigations transformed the interest from teachers to students and learning process。 For second language learners, learning a language means to make hypothesis about the target language。 Ellis in the middle of 1980s made a review of the development in second language acquisition。 Two representative theories are Interlanguage and error analysis。 Both of them have received great concern in the linguistic field from researchers。

Interlangauge can be regarded as an internal system that a learner has constructed at a single point of time, so we can call it as “IL” in a narrow sense。 In a broad sense, Interlanguage refers to “series of interconnected system that characterized the learners’ progress over time”, which is called as “IL continuum” or “IL” (Selinker 180)。 It is observed that IL is governed by its own unique and coherent internalized rule or system, which is rarely in line with target language’s system。 Interlanguage is a continuum which is different from a learner’s native language and target language。 The learner’s amount of errors will probably decrease gradually if the learner learns the target language to a certain degree。 However, it is hard for the learner to prevent the onset of errors。 The part of errors reappearing in his performance of IL may be fossilized。

Interlangauge is “an approximative system。”(Corder 18)。 To sum up, interlanguage is a type of language。 It is produced by second and foreign language learners during their foreign language learning process。 The language is different from the learner’s mother tongue and the target language。 Interlangauge is a kind of system employed by learners in order to acquire the native speaker’s competence。 The learner produces utterances which are not identical to those native speakers when expressing the same idea to understand the target language。 The particular characteristics and rules of interalangauge are: Firstly, the learner constructs a system of abstract linguistic rules。 Secondly, the learner’s grammar is permeable。 Thirdly, the learner’s competence is transitional。 Fourthly, the learner’s competence is variable。来*自-优=尔,论:文+网www.youerw.com

2。2 The definition of fossilization

Interalngauge has three important characteristics: systematicity, permeability and fossilization。 Fossilization is one of the significant characteristics of interlanguage。 For better understanding the definitions of interlanguage fossilization, Selinker regarded language as a psychological mechanism, which cannot be eliminated。 As Selinker first introduced the term-fossilization, the definition has become authoritative in the second language acquisition field。 However the definition of interlanguage is challenged by second language acquisition theories due to the development of the second language acquisition field。 Language fossilization means the incorrect use of language forms which lasts relatively persist (Brown 12)。 He found that the word “cryogenation” could be used to replace “fossilization” since the phenomenon of the ineralngauge could be changed under certain conditions。 Therefore, Selinker redefined the term “fossilization”: the speaker will become inclined to keep linguistic items or rules which can be seen as fossilization in their interlanguage system。 This system may be related to the learner’s target language system。 Such phenomenon will happen regardless of the learner’s age or how much knowledge of the target language he has gained。 Fossilization refers to the condition when grammar rules, language projects and systematic knowledge in learner’s interlanguage system become stable。 The increase of age and learning may be ineffective in changing the state (Dai Weidong 22)。 Recently, the term fossilization has been used by researchers to refer to such a condition: It may be difficult for second language learners to reach the target language competence。 Then these non-target forms produced by learners will become fossilized in interlanguage。 In second language learning, it is common for learners to fail to acquire the target language completely。 Fossilization is defined as a process。 It means that when a person speaks or writes a language, he may become used to use incorrect forms。 These forms will occur in the learner’s pronunciation, grammar and so on。 Fossilization may occur no matter how old the learner is or how much knowledge he has gained。 Selinker thought that fossilization could be pided into “inpidual fossilization” and “group fossilization” concerning different fossilized entities。 He also proposed temporary fossilization and permanent fossilization。 They are two stages of fossilization and both of them are significant for second language learning and teaching studies。