Language Acquistion: Write an essay of between 800 and 1,000 words on the topic given below. Remember to acknowledge your sources where necessary. NB: (i) Essays that exceed the word limit will be penalized. NB: (ii) In-text referencing should give author(s) surname(s), year, and page number(s) as appropriate.
Topic:
Transfer (or cross-linguistic influences), overgeneralization, and methods of teaching are among the sources that have been said posited for the non-target language structures in the output of the second language learner.
Using the language sample and the guidelines provided, write an essay on the topic “The use of English past tense in the written English of two Caribbean students”. Your essay should include a discussion of the following issues.
a. In what proportion of the verbs in the sample does the tense used by the students match what a native speaker of the Target Language (TL) would use?
b. In what proportion of the verbs in the sample does the tense used by the students not match what a native speaker of the target language would use?
c. Are there cases where the tense is correct but the form of the verb is not? What proportion of these non-target forms are tensed verbs? What proportion are comprised of non-tensed verbs?
d. What proportion of the non-target tense constructions would you classify as transfers from the Native Language? What proportion would you classify as overgeneralization?
e. Are there any cases where the non-target tense constructions do not fit under either transfer or overgeneralization? How would you characterize these?
f. Are there cases where the non-target structures may fit under both categories (transfer and overgeneralization)? Are there cases that are ambiguous or difficult to determine their sources?
The Sample:
Assume that the sample is taken from the compositions of a group of nine-year-old Caribbean students
It was six days before Christmas. when my friend Kavita and I decide to go by my sister in new york So Kavita sad that my mother has to take to her mother. So the next day my mother went over to Kavita’s home When my mother got there Kavita’s Mom sad yes because Kavita had already take to her mom.
When we return home my mother did called my sister and told here to prepared herself because Kavita and I will be comeing two days from now.
So the same night Kavita and I began to pack. we were so happy to go that we did not even sleep that night we went on takeing and takeing and takeing.
Finely morning has reach and it’s time to go. we jump out from our bed and raned to the bathroom. Then we got dress because the plane will be at the airport at 8.45 and will be leaving at 10.00.
My mother dropt us by the airport and kiss us goodby and she wished us a saft trip we got on the plane and the planed take off.
Kavita and I look down we played games on our phone and just injoyed the ried.
Finly the plan had arrive and we got out of the plan. and I saw my sister saning wating on us as she saw us she raned and huged us my sister was so happy to see us my sister told us that she will take us out the next day She did take us to buy decorteion and many other things. My sister said that we shall have a wonderfull time by her I tank god for my sister. Kavita and I love her very much.
It was a night before christma when I and June in my bedroom. We sit down deciding what we was going to do for Christmas. I finaly let us packed two bag and go by my Ant. My father up there. So I get a car from his friend Huston.
June and I packed all my loage to go by my ant. It was great arriveing there. She cook Ham, Beef and bread make Brad it tase so delicious. What my ant could cook good. It tast so delicous I need a nex plat of food.
June waited while I got ready to go too the treats in Pear Road Savanah when we arrive at the savannah I see santaclaus reach here with a helicopter. He fat as papa from Toco. June want to go near I telled her no. Right here just good girl. We go see everything good from here.
We got treats and balloons and plenty gifts for ourselves. We eat about for slice of cake and eat ice cream for so. It had plenty apple and grapes we carry some apple home after.