Revisiting the benefit of contrastive analysis for early language learning

Abstract

The new scientific paradigm proposed by cognitive science (cf. Gardner, 1989) gives researchers the chance to revisit the consideration and the role of assumptions, procedures and tools that became outdated with the incorporation of new theories and insights in numerous disciplines. An example for this situation is the treatment that contrastive analysis (CA) has been given in different perspectives. Whereas within conductist-oriented theories, CA was expected to prevent learners from making errors and mistakes in the 60´s, it was used for giving an explanation of the errors due to interference up to the mid 80´s, before being banned from systematic research on second language acquisition (SLA) processes from the late 80´s onwards. Notwithstanding, the application of the epistemological underpinnings of cognitivism onto first language and SLA processes allows for a reconsideration of the benefit of CA as a procedural tool for equipping the second language learner with the cognitive support that contributes to the active construction of the knowledge and skills of the future second language.