Contrastive Analysis in Linguistics

Abstract

In its core sense, contrastive linguistics can be defined as the theoretically grounded, systematic and synchronic comparison of usually two languages, or at most no more than a small number of languages. In the early stages of the development of the field, comparisons were usually carried out with a view to applying the findings for the benefit of the community, for example in foreign-language teaching or in translation. In recent years, this applied orientation has persisted, but it has been complemented by a growing body of contrastive research with a more theoretical orientation. The languages compared can be genetically related or unrelated, as well as typologically similar or dissimilar. Some comparisons, in particular those with a more theoretical orientation, are symmetrical in the sense that they cover the specifics of one language viewed against another in a balanced way. Applied contrastive comparisons of languages, on the other hand, are often asymmetrical or “directed.” This is typically the case in pedagogically oriented contrastive research, where the focus is on differences in L2, which are seen as potential sources of difficulty in foreign-language learning. Contrastive linguistics emerged as a major subfield of applied linguistics in the 1940s and consolidated quickly throughout the 1950s and 1960s. When it became clear that contrastive linguistics was not going to provide the foundation for a comprehensive theory of foreign-language learning, the field started showing signs of strain. Over time, however, it has avoided disintegration and managed to reposition itself successfully—not as a clearly demarcated subfield, but rather as an approach that has continued to prove its usefulness to a wide range of applied- and theoretical-linguistic domains, such as second-language acquisition (SLA) research, translation studies and translation theory, lexicography, the study of cross-cultural communication, and even cultural studies. Progress in contrastive linguistics has manifested itself on the conceptual level, for example through the constant refinement of notions such as L1 transfer and interference, or through fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue with language typology, but also in contrastivists’ active contribution to the construction of digital research tools such as learner corpora and translation corpora. The following annotated bibliography charts the development of the field on the basis of publications that stand out either because they have become classic points of reference for other work or because they have raised important theoretical and methodological points. Studies of specific phenomena in individual language pairs are mentioned for illustrative purposes. No comprehensive coverage of such largely descriptive work is attempted, however.