Interlanguage: The Inevitable Path for Every Second Language Learner

In 1972, linguist Larry Selinker, in his seminal paper "Interlanguage", proposed the groundbreaking Interlanguage Theory. This theory revolutionized our understanding by positing that the linguistic system constructed by second language learners is not a flawed imitation of the target language waiting to be corrected, but an independent, systematic, and dynamically evolving language system in its own right, which he termed "Interlanguage".

1972年，语言学家拉里·塞林克在其里程碑式的论文 《Interlanguage》 中，提出了 groundbreaking（开创性）的中介语理论。该理论革命性地指出，第二语言学习者在学习过程中所构建的，并非一个充满错误、有待修补的目标语副本，而是一个独立的、系统的、动态发展的语言体系，他将其命名为“中介语”。

What is Interlanguage?

Interlanguage can be visualised as a "bridge" spanning between a learner's native language and the target language. It possesses its own internal rules and grammar, which, although they may not fully align with the standards of the target language, are logically self-consistent for the learner at a specific stage of learning. This means that a learner's "errors" are not random mistakes, but evidence of their active hypothesis-testing and rule-formation, an inevitable byproduct of their journey of exploring the target language.

中介语被形象地理解为介于学习者母语与目标语之间的一座“桥梁”。它拥有自身的内在规则与语法，尽管这些规则可能不完全符合目标语的标准，但对学习者而言，在特定学习阶段是逻辑自洽的。这意味着，学习者的“错误”并非随机的失误，而是其积极进行语言假设与规则构建的证据，是探索目标语过程中的必然产物。

The Construction of Interlanguage: Examples of Five Cognitive Processes

The formation of interlanguage is not arbitrary; it is the result of the learner's brain actively at work. Selinker identified five key underlying cognitive processes

中介语的形成并非空穴来风，而是学习者大脑积极运作的结果。塞林克揭示了其背后的五大认知过程

• Language Transfer
  • Example: A Mandarin Chinese speaker says: "I very like this movie." This occurs because in Chinese, the adverb "非常 (fēicháng)" can be placed directly before the verb "喜欢 (xǐhuan)". The learner transfers this native language rule into English, whereas the correct expression should be "I like this movie very much."

一位汉语母语者说：“I very like this movie.” 这是因为在汉语中，副词“非常”可以直接放在动词“喜欢”前面。学习者将这一母语规则“迁移”到了英语中，而正确的英文表达应为“I like this movie very much.”

• Overgeneralization of Target Language Rules
  • Example: A learner, after mastering the rule of adding "-ed" for past tense, produces sentences like "He goed to school" and "She eated lunch." This is not merely a mistake; it demonstrates the learner has successfully induced and applied a rule, just over-applying it before learning exceptions like "went" and "ate".

一位英语学习者掌握了动词过去式加“-ed”的规则后，会造出“He goed to school” 和 “She eated lunch”这样的句子。这不是简单的错误，而是学习者成功归纳并应用了规则，只是应用范围“过度”了，尚未学到“went”和“ate”这些例外。

• Transfer of Training
  • Example : In classroom teaching, if a teacher consistently uses "Is he a student?" as a template for yes-no questions through mechanical drills, it might lead learners to produce ungrammatical sentences like "Is he reads a book?" when trying to ask "Is he reading a book?". This is a fossilised error resulting from instructional training.

在课堂教学中，老师为了简化，始终用“Is he a student?”作为一般疑问句的模板进行机械操练。这可能导致学习者在需要表达“他在看书吗？”时，造出“Is he reads a book?”这样不合语法的句子，这就是教学训练导致的固化错误。

• Strategies of Second Language Learning
  • Example : A learner who doesn't know the word "aquarium" might use simpler known vocabulary to express the idea, saying: "Let's go to the big house with many fish." This is a simplification strategy, circumventing a lexical gap using core vocabulary.

一个学习者不知道“水族馆”这个词。为了完成表达，他可能会使用更简单的已知词汇，说：“Let's go to the big house with many fish.” 这是一种简化策略，通过核心词汇迂回地表达复杂概念。

• Strategies of Second Language Communication
  • Example : A learner in a restaurant wants "ketchup" but forgets the word. They might say to the server: "I want the red... you know, for potatoes." accompanied by gestures. This is a strategy employed to achieve immediate communicative goals.

一个学习者在餐厅点餐，想要“番茄酱”，但忘了这个词。他可能会对服务员说：“I want the red... you know, for potatoes.” 并配合手势。这是为了达成即时交际目的而采用的策略。

Three Key Characteristics of Interlanguage: Illustrated with Examples

These cognitive processes collectively shape an interlanguage system with the following distinct characteristics:

这些认知过程共同塑造了一个具有以下鲜明特征的中介语系统：

• Systematicity
  • Example : A learner's current interlanguage system might have a rule: "Add 'no' before the verb for negation." They will then systematically produce sentences like: "I no understand." "She no coming." These errors are not random; they follow the learner's own current grammatical rules, making them systematic and predictable.

一位学习者当前的中介语系统中，可能有一条规则是“否定句在动词前加‘no’”。那么他会系统性地产出如下句子：“I no understand.” “She no coming.” 这些错误并非随机，而是遵循了他自己当前的语法规则，因而是系统的、可预测的。

• Dynamicity
  • Example : This learner's interlanguage will continuously evolve. They might start with "I no understand." (Stage 1). After learning, they revise it to "I don't understand.", but may overgeneralise to produce "I don't can go." (Stage 2). Finally, they gradually acquire the correct form "I can't go." (Stage 3). This process of constant revision and approximation towards the target language illustrates its dynamic nature.

该学习者的中介语会不断演进。起初他可能说“I no understand.”（阶段一）。经过学习，他修正为 “I don't understand.”，但可能同时过度概括出 “I don't can go.”（阶段二）。最后他才逐渐掌握正确的形式 “I can't go.”（阶段三）。这个不断修正、向目标语靠近的过程，体现了其动态性。

• Permeability
  • Example : The boundaries of a learner's interlanguage system are "permeable", highly susceptible to influence from both inside and outside. When they introduce the "no + verb" rule from their native language, it's permeation from the L1; when they newly learn "don't" from the target language and start using it, it's permeation from the L2. Their system is constantly being modified by "input".

学习者的中介语系统边界是“可渗透的”，极易受到内外因素的影响。当他从母语中引入“no+动词”的规则时，是受到了母语的渗透；当他从目标语中新学了“don't”并开始使用时，是受到了目标语的渗透。他的系统始终处于被“输入”修改的状态。

In conclusion

Through these examples, we can see that the Interlanguage Theory allows us to "decode" the logic behind every learner's error. It is no longer a weed to be mercilessly uprooted, but a precious blueprint reflecting how a learner, much like a linguist, constructs their second language competence step by step through hypothesis, testing, and revision.

通过以上实例我们可以看到，中介语理论让我们能够“解读”学习者每一个错误背后的逻辑。它不再是需要被无情铲除的杂草，而是反映了学习者如何像语言科学家一样，通过假设、检验和修正，一步步构建起自己第二语言能力大厦的珍贵蓝图。