ABSTRACT
Linguistic subdiscipline concerned with the synchronic, comparative study of two or more languages or language varieties (e.g. dialects). Generally, both differences and similarities in the languages are studied, although the emphasis is usually placed on differences thought to lead to interference (i.e. negative transfer, the faulty application of structures from one’s native language to the second language). Here the role of theoretical linguistics consists primarily in developing suitable grammar models that make it possible to compare languages systematically, especially in view of interference. Contrastive analysis emphasized the study of phonology and morphology. It did not address communicative contexts, i.e. contrasting socio-pragmatic conditions that influence linguistic production. Recent work in error analysis has emphasized errors as a
error analysis, foreign-language pedagogy, language typology)
References
Alatis. J.E. (ed.) 1968. Contrastive linguistics and its pedagogical implications. Washington, DC. Fisiak, J. (ed.) 1990. Further insights into contrastive analysis. Amsterdam. James, C. 1980. Contrastive analysis. London. Krzeszowski, T.P. 1990. Contrasting languages: the scope of contrastive linguistics. Berlin. Lado, R. 1957. Linguistics across culture. Ann Arbor, MI. Nehls, D. 1979. Studies in contrastive linguistics and error analysis: studies in contrastive
linguistics, vol. 2. Heidelberg.
