Robert Lado was influential in the development of SLA theory and methods. He studied how language transfer affects foreign language learning. Specifically, he hypothesized that aspects of a foreign language similar to one's native language will be easier to learn, while differences will be more difficult. This contrastive analysis hypothesis informed the Audiolingual method and focus on minimal pairs.

1. SLA Background
Robert Lado, Contrastive Analysis,
Audiolingualism

2. The son of Spanish immigrants to the
US, he learned English as an adult,
which inspired his interest in the
practical aspects of foreign
language learning.
With Charles Fries, he was involved
with the University of Michigan ELI
(English Language Institute), which
researched the best methods of
foreign language teaching for
military purposes during WW2,
particularly teaching English to
Spanish speakers in Latin America.
They developed the contrastive
Robert Lado 1915-1995 analysis hypothesis and the Army
method, which later developed into
the Audio-Lingual Method (ALM).

3. Transfer: main difficulty of foreign language learning
"Individuals tend to transfer the
forms and meanings, and the

J'ai visité → I have
distribution of forms and visited
meanings of their native
language and culture to the

I have visited Monaco
foreign language and culture several times.
-- both productively when 
*I have visited
attempting to speak the
language and to act in the Monaco last week.
culture, and receptively when 
Minimal pairs
attempting to grasp and
understand the language and A minimal pair consists of two
the culture as practised by words which differ only in one
natives." (Lado, 1957) sound.

4. Contrastive analysis hypothesis: predictions
the student who comes in Minimal pairs
contact with a foreign
language will find some 1. sheep ship
features of it quite easy and 2. bean bin
others extremely difficult.
Those elements that are 3. _____ chick
similar to his native 4. _____ hill
language will be simple for 5. peach ______
him, and those elements
6. _____ skim
that are different will be
difficult. 7. _____ sick
8. steal ______
(Lado,1957)
http://www.shiporsheep.com/page1.html

5. Contrastive analysis hypothesis: predictions
the student who comes in Minimal pairs
contact with a foreign
language will find some 1. sheep ship
features of it quite easy and 2. bean bin
others extremely difficult.
Those elements that are 3. CHEEK chick
similar to his native 4. HEEL hill
language will be simple for 5. peach PITCH
him, and those elements
6. SCHEME skim
that are different will be
difficult. 7. SEEK sick
8. steal STILL
(Lado,1957)
http://www.shiporsheep.com/page1.html

6. Links
• Cliff Hanger: the sheep on the ship
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfRByuE3BKU
• Sheep or ship
• http://www.shiporsheep.com/