Chunks, segmentation and internal grammar
According to Weinert (1987) and Myles et al (1999), early instructed learners rely heavily on memorized chunks which only very gradually come to be 'segmented', that is, understood in terms of their component parts. As the chunks fade from memory, or if the known chunks don't meet communicative needs, then learners are forced back on their internal grammar which cannot generate such grammatically complex language.
Researchers have asked whether the use of chunks helps or hinders the segmentation process (what Klein refers to as 'analysis'). The majority feel that learners do break down learned chunks and gradually internalize how the various constituent parts function. For example, Myles et al (1999) hypothesize the following sequence based on their data from school learners of French:
| 1 | Unanalysed chunk | Comment t'appelles-tu |
| 2 | Add a noun subject | Comment t'appelles-tu le garçon |
| 3 | Replace 'tu' subject with a noun subject | Comment t'appelles la fille |
| 4 | Replace reflexive pronoun | Comment s'appelle un garçon? |
| 5 | Replace noun subject with correct pronoun | Comment s'appelle-t-il? |
However, even after three years' teaching, only one of their learners had consistently mastered Stage 5. As we have already suggested, segmentation and the development of an internal grammar take a long time, even with support from instruction.
Reflective task 7
| Look at the following spoken examples of French and German interlanguage, all from instructed learners with limited proficiency. Dealing with whichever language(s) you are familiar with, offer an explanation of how the learner might have constructed his or her utterance. | |
| 1. Comment t'appelles-tu le garçon? | What's the boy called? |
| 2. Mon petit garçon ... où habites-tu? | Where does the little boy live? |
| 3. une famille j'habite un maison. | The family lives in a house. |
| 4. Où est la gare l'église? | Where is the church? |
| 5. What d'you doing, this boy? | What is this boy doing? |
| 6. Wie alt dein Geburtstag? | When is your birthday? |
| 7. Q: Hast
du eine Katze? A: Nein, hast du eine Katze. |
Q: Do you
have a cat? A: No, I don't have a cat. |
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