Contrastive Analysis: The Problem of a Model

Abstract

Contrastive Linguistics, a branch of linguistics, uses contrastive analysis as its method. This analysis usually comprises three steps: description of two languages, usually the native language (Ll) and the second or the foreign language (L2); comparison of the two languages to show similarities and contrasts between them, and finally prediction of the areas of difficulties and errors for the benefit of the learner of the second or the foreign language. Each of these processes: description, comparison and prediction has to be based on a suitable theoretical paradigm or model. I will therefore be concerned with three types of models: description m--o- d- els..I comnarison models and n.J. rediction models. Although all of these types are essential, the last two are casually mentioned, if ever, in the work of contrastivists. .