Which term describes the learner's evolving system as they acquire a second language?

Which term describes the learner's evolving system as they acquire a second language?

• A. Interlanguage
• B. Interlanguage development
• C. Language transfer
• D. Fossilization

Answer: (A)

The learner’s evolving system as they acquire a second language is described as interlanguage. Interlanguage is a dynamic, internal grammar that learners construct, blending rules from their first language with emerging second-language patterns. It isn’t fixed; it changes as learners get more input and practice, so their errors shift and new forms appear as they hypothesize and test what the language should be. This evolving system reflects ongoing learning and refinement, not a finished product. Language transfer refers to influences from the first language on the second, and fossilization describes when certain errors become fixed and stop changing. So the term that best describes the learner’s changing internal system is interlanguage.

The learner’s evolving system as they acquire a second language is described as interlanguage. Interlanguage is a dynamic, internal grammar that learners construct, blending rules from their first language with emerging second-language patterns. It isn’t fixed; it changes as learners get more input and practice, so their errors shift and new forms appear as they hypothesize and test what the language should be. This evolving system reflects ongoing learning and refinement, not a finished product. Language transfer refers to influences from the first language on the second, and fossilization describes when certain errors become fixed and stop changing. So the term that best describes the learner’s changing internal system is interlanguage.