article de périodique

Differential error types in second-language students' written and spoken texts : Implications for instruction in writing Voir tous les contenus avec cette valeur

Written Communication

Vol.22, n°4

Makalela, Leketi

18

2004

368-385

Acquisition linguistique Voir tous les contenus avec cette valeur

Littérature comparée -- Africaine et anglaise Voir tous les contenus avec cette valeur

Langue maternelle et langue seconde (enseignement des langues) Voir tous les contenus avec cette valeur

ang

0741-0883

This article reports on an empirical study undertaken at the University of the North, South Africa, to test personal classroom observation and anecdotal evidence about the persistent gap between writing and spoken proficiencies among learners of English as a second language. A comparative and contrastive analysis of speech samples in the study showed a significant higher proportion of morpho-syntactic nonstandard forms in the learners’ written compositions and more nonstandard discourse forms in their oral presentations. As a result, it is argued that this gap may be minimized when learners’written interlanguage variety is used productively as a means toward normative writing proficiency. Recommendations for remedial instruction in second-language writing pedagogy, within the framework of Cummins’s conversational abilities and academic language proficiency, are offered for adaptation in comparable situations.