Fossilization

listen

Fossilization, in second language learning, occurs when certain mistakes seem to be impossible to correct, in spite of the ability and motivation of the learner. Fossilization is the result of frequent use, reinforcement from successful communication, and lack of correction. Learners run a great risk of fossilization from peer speech, where their mistakes go undetected. Fossilization is also very likely to take place in classrooms of communicative language teaching where the primary goal is to prepare ]earners for real life communication rather than structural accuracy. Students may also be exposed to repeated non authentic speech models in classrooms where language teachers are non native speakers. Incorrect forms become fossilized when learners have extensive opportunities to communicate successfully with inaccurate patterns, which result in mistakes that are impossible to get rid of. Learners with fossilized forms are often unable to recognize patterns in the second language which is another danger of communicative language teaching.

back