A seminar on Contrastive Analysis the linguistic components of Contrastive Analysis, prepared by: Ibrahim Adel University of Mosul College Of Arts Department of English

1. • The Linguistic Components of Contrastive Analysis
• Levels Of Language
• Procedural Orientation
• Mixing Levels
Prepared by:
Ibrahim Adel

2. The Linguistic Components of
Contrastive Analysis
Contrastive Analysis (CA) is a linguistic approach that aims to explain a
second language. It involves comparing the learner's native language
(L1) with the language they are learning (L2) through descriptive
accounts and techniques. CA is not considered part of
psycholinguistics because it separates the goals of psychology and
linguistic study. CA is a form of linguistics with many forms, including
macrolinguistics and micro-linguistics. Macro linguistics refers to the
whole study of language. It is divided into three main subfields:
prelinguistics, microlinguistics, and metalinguistics. Microlinguistics
is a branch of macro linguistics referring to what may be called the
“central core” of language study, i.e., the areas of phonology, grammar,
and semantics. Linguistics provides the framework for CA, breaking
down language into phonology, grammar, and lexis and describing
them using categories such as unit, structure, class, and system.

3. 3.1 Levels of language
Imagine meeting an eighty-year-old person who is the only
person alive who speaks a language. As a linguist, it is your job to
keep some accounts of this language as descriptive statements.
Some of these descriptive statements are below:
1. This language (L) uses the sounds / e/ t/etc.
2. L has four words for ‘cousin’, depending on whether the
cousin is a man or woman or on your mother’s or father's side
of the family.
3. L shows a plurality of nouns in four different ways, each
involving the addition of a consonant to the end of the noun
in its singular form.
4. To ask a question, take the finite verb (the initial position in a
declarative sentence) and transpose it to the sentence-final
position.

4. Linguistic descriptions are approached using the principle
‘division of Labour’; each statement or group of statements
aimed at one level of language restricts itself to some aspect
of language, not covering several elements simultaneously.
The more descriptive statements, the fuller the description
becomes. The four statements of the hypothetical last
surviving native speaker are made on different levels:
phonology, lexis, morphology, and syntax.

5. 3.1.1 procedural orientation
Traditionally, linguists describe languages by starting with
phonology, then morphology, and finally syntax. This is because
phonology is seen as essential and more accessible to explain in
detail. However, linguists cannot determine the exact number of
vocabulary items or syntactic patterns in a language, making it
difficult to prove the essentiality of phonology. Nonetheless,
every word or phrase in a language must adhere to phonological
segments and syntactic rules. Phonemes are more commonly
used in speech than morphemes or syntagms, but this does not
necessarily mean they are essential. The focus on phonology in
language description often overlooks other descriptive levels.

6. 3.1.2 mixing levels
Structural linguistics initially prohibited mixing levels of
description, but nowadays, it is allowed and sometimes
necessary. Hetzron's study on Russian sentences
demonstrates the importance of mixing levels to explain
certain phonological features. Contrastive analysis
follows the principle of linguistic levels, involving
description and comparison stages. Interlingual level
shifts occur when different languages express
distinctions through different levels, such as from lexis
to grammar or from phonology to lexis. These level shifts
can be represented graphically to measure the degree of
interlingual non-correspondence.

8. Thank You