Interlanguage is best described as which concept?

Interlanguage is best described as which concept?

• A. A rule-based system blending L1 and L2, often with rule overgeneralizations.
• B. A fixed, native-like language stage
• C. A surface-level vocabulary-only system
• D. A phoneme-by-phoneme adaptation

Answer: (A)

Interlanguage is a dynamic, learner-generated system that blends features from the learner’s first language with the patterns of the target language. The learner constructs hypotheses about how English works, so the developing grammar is rule-based but imperfect, often showing overgeneralizations—like adding regular past-tense endings to irregular verbs (went → goed) or applying a general word-order rule from L1 to English. This reflects ongoing hypothesis testing and adjustment as exposure and practice continue. It isn’t a fixed, native-like stage, nor is it just vocabulary or a phoneme-by-phoneme adaptation. The essence is a evolving, rule-governed system that sits between L1 and L2, shaped by interference from the first language and by the learner’s developing understanding of English.

Interlanguage is a dynamic, learner-generated system that blends features from the learner’s first language with the patterns of the target language. The learner constructs hypotheses about how English works, so the developing grammar is rule-based but imperfect, often showing overgeneralizations—like adding regular past-tense endings to irregular verbs (went → goed) or applying a general word-order rule from L1 to English. This reflects ongoing hypothesis testing and adjustment as exposure and practice continue.

It isn’t a fixed, native-like stage, nor is it just vocabulary or a phoneme-by-phoneme adaptation. The essence is a evolving, rule-governed system that sits between L1 and L2, shaped by interference from the first language and by the learner’s developing understanding of English.