Extending a pattern learned in one context to another.

Extending a pattern learned in one context to another.

• A. Generalization
• B. Code-switching
• C. Interference
• D. Variation

Answer: (A)

Extending a pattern learned in one context to another is generalization. In language learning, students notice a rule or pattern in one situation and apply it to similar, but new, contexts. For example, once a learner sees that many English verbs form the past tense by adding -ed (walk → walked, jump → jumped), they tend to apply the same rule to other verbs they encounter, even unfamiliar ones. This transfer helps them produce correct forms in new sentences and contexts. Other options don’t fit this idea: code-switching involves mixing languages, interference is when L1 affects L2 in ways that create errors, and variation refers to differences in language use across contexts rather than transferring a pattern learned earlier.

Extending a pattern learned in one context to another is generalization. In language learning, students notice a rule or pattern in one situation and apply it to similar, but new, contexts. For example, once a learner sees that many English verbs form the past tense by adding -ed (walk → walked, jump → jumped), they tend to apply the same rule to other verbs they encounter, even unfamiliar ones. This transfer helps them produce correct forms in new sentences and contexts. Other options don’t fit this idea: code-switching involves mixing languages, interference is when L1 affects L2 in ways that create errors, and variation refers to differences in language use across contexts rather than transferring a pattern learned earlier.