Norm and Variability in Language use and Language Learning

Abstract

Two basic distinctions concerning language use and language learning underlie the concepts of English as a second and foreign language. On the one hand there is the distinction between native speakers of a language and foreign learners of a language, made use of with reference to foreign language learning. The two are usually contrasted using a model of proficiency as a basis for comparison, and the goal of one (the foreign language learner) is said to be to approximate the speech usage of the other. A further distinction is the contrast between native users of English and non-native users, or between native varieties of English and non-native varieties. This distinction is not based on differences in proficiency but on different norms of English usage in native and non-native settings. This paper examines the concepts of language proficiency, of second and foreign language, of native and non-native speakers, and considers such distinctions with reference to the status of English in the Republic of Singapore.KeywordsForeign LanguageNative SpeakerLanguage LearningTarget LanguageOfficial LanguageThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.