Students’ Interlanguage in the Colombian Teaching Context

In Colombia, English language teaching and learning processes are predominantly framed within the concept of a foreign language. This classification arises because English does not have a significant presence in everyday communication across most regions of the country. Consequently, students are rarely exposed to authentic communicative situations involving native or fluent speakers of English. The Ministry of National Education (MEN) recognizes this limitation and emphasizes that English learning should primarily occur in classroom environments. Given this, learners' exposure to English is restricted to controlled instructional periods. Despite these constraints, Colombian students are expected to achieve high levels of linguistic competence to effectively communicate in English when required.

At Institución Educativa Distrital La Libertad, where I teach first grade, English is integrated into the broader humanities curriculum alongside Spanish. Starting this year, first graders receive 200 minutes of classroom instruction per week, divided into four 45-minute periods. These include English (90 minutes) and two other subjects, science and social studies (45 minutes each).

Under these conditions, my focus on students’ interlanguage—an evolving linguistic system that bridges their native language (L1) and target language (L2)—primarily occurs during oral language activities. At this stage, students are still developing foundational language units in their mother tongue, Spanish. As this is their initial exposure to English, their attempts to communicate often deviate systematically from both Spanish and English norms. This phenomenon, which encompasses phonological and lexical errors, is largely influenced by negative transfer from Spanish. For instance, students may apply Spanish sound patterns to English pronunciation or attempt to spell English words as if they were written in Spanish.

Parental influence further contributes to these errors, as many parents lack proficiency in English and inadvertently reinforce incorrect patterns. While such errors are common, they can hinder progress if students’ interlanguage becomes stagnant. A dynamic and permeable interlanguage is essential for continued development; otherwise, learners may persist in applying phonological or lexical rules that do not align with standard English usage.

To address this, I strive to create a supportive classroom environment that encourages confidence in the learning process. I use multimedia resources, such as videos, to provide students with enriched input, helping them internalize correct linguistic forms. My approach minimizes direct correction of errors, focusing instead on creating opportunities for self-correction and gradual improvement.

Errors and Mistakes in Language Learning

Errors are an integral part of the language acquisition process, reflecting how learners experiment with the target language and operationalize mental processes. These deviations from standard forms offer valuable insights into students' learning journeys and allow them to test hypotheses about the L2’s structure. By comparing their internalized rules with linguistic input, learners can confirm or revise their assumptions.

Teachers play a critical role in facilitating this cognitive process through targeted linguistic activities. One effective strategy is “noticing,” which involves guiding students to become aware of specific linguistic forms and structures. As Batstone (1996) explains, noticing is a multifaceted process that requires learners to focus on both meaning and form over time. He emphasizes the importance of repeated opportunities for noticing, tailored to address different psycholinguistic factors:

"Noticing is a complex process: it involves the intake both of meaning and of form, and it takes time for learners to progress from initial recognition to the point where they can internalize the underlying rule. This argues for teachers to provide recurring opportunities for learners to notice, since one noticing task is most unlikely to be sufficient. More specifically, we may want to work with different kinds of noticing tasks in the future in order to serve different psycholinguistic factors" (Batstone, 1996, p. 273).

By designing activities that emphasize noticing, teachers enable students to capitalize on their errors as stepping stones for progress. This approach transforms mistakes into opportunities for deep learning, fostering continuous development in their interlanguage.

References

Batstone, R. (1996). Noticing. ELT Journal, 50(3), 273–281. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/50.3.273