The place of contrastive analysis and error analysis in second language pedagogy

Abstract EN

Second language acquisition research has the goal of providing descriptivist accounts of the different factors that underpin the lateralization of L2 structures.

it makes use of the outcomes of descriptive approaches to model prescriptivism theories that have implicational capacities to improve L2 pedagogy.

contrastive analysis and error analysis hypotheses highlight the interplay between descriptive formal linguistics and prescriptive pedagogical practices.

the present study highlights the underlying principles and limitations of contrastive analysis as a tool to predict learners’ errors along with the complementary error analysis measures.

the present study sketches a practical context for the applicability of the two methods in such a way as to circumvent the glaring weaknesses of the models and design more compelling intervention plans and teaching materials.