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whereas Contrastive Analysis endeavors to discover similarities and differences between the first language L1 and the second language L2 for the
improvement of teaching and learning of a foreign language. In 1945, Fries, who is recognized as the father of CA, in his book Teaching
and Learning English as a Foreign Language emphasized : The most efficient materials grow out of a scientific descriptive analysis
of the language to be learned carefully compared with a parallel descriptive analysis of the native languages of the learner. Only a
comparison of this kind will reveal the fundamental trouble spots that demand special exercises and will separate the basically important
features from a bewildering mass of linguistic details p.2. Almost twelve years later, Robert Lado, one of Fries’ prominent followers,
proposed a similar view in his book, Linguistics Across Cultures 1957, saying: “The most important new thing in the preparation of teaching materials is
the comparison of native and foreign language and culture in order to find the hurdles that really have to be surmounted in the teaching p. 3
Fries and Lado made CA very popular in the 1950-s and 1960-s. The popularity tempted CA proponents to put forth several claims, some of which are
considered overambitious such as the following: 1. mistakes of a learner are primarily due to interference from L1.
2. similar points in L1 and L2 do not cause problems for a learner. 3. different points in L1 and L2 cause serious problems for a learner.
4. different points in L1 and L2 are detected from a comparison of L1 and L2. 5. results of the comparison form the basis on which difficulties are predicted.
6. materials designed on the basis of the comparison of L1 and L2 are useful.
2.1.8.3 Movement Against Contrastive Analysis
A movement against CA emerged in the closing year of the 1950-s. Some scholars from the Great Britain began to cast their skepticism on CA.
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Linguists such as Richards, Selinker, and W. R. Lee question the usefulness, necessity, and relevance of CA. Lee, later editor of English Language Teaching
1970, writes: “Now it is often said that by means of a thorough comparison of the
native language and the foreign language we can predict the learning errors. But is it true? And if it is true, is such a prediction necessary?
And can the comparison be thorough?” p.4 Furthermore, Lee argues:
“Prediction is by no means wholly reliable. Although there are common faults, not all speakers of the same first language cope with the
difficulties of learning of a particular foreign language in the same way, making exactly the same mistakes”. p. 5
L. A. Hill, a British language scholar who was popular with English teachers in South East Asia in the 1970-s, also discredits the value of CA when he said,
“Most of the students’ errors in learning English are caused by the conflict between the patterns within the English language itself.”
On the whole, those critics agree with CA proponents that there is interference from L1. However, they refuse the idea that L1 is the primary source.
They explain that there are some other important factors behind the difficulties of a foreign language learner. W. R. Lee states “but it is not only the learner’s native
language which exercises this influence. There is interference both from L1 and at every stage from what has already been taught and absorbed.” Alatis:
186 Another distinct voice against CA comes from Catford, author of Contrastive
Analysis and Language Teaching 1968. He refuses the idea that CA is able to predict all the hurdles in the teaching and learning process. The role of CA, he says,
is merely explanatory, not predictive. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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“...it seems to me that in relation to L2 teaching, the most important role of contrastive analysis - or rather, of the data obtained by contrastive
analysis - is explanatory rather than predictive p. 159.
Catford is certainly pleased to see CA practitioners design a lot of theories on language teaching and learning. However, he deems it more important
for them to go into the field and collect data about students’ mistakes and arrange them into types, exactly like what practitioners of Error Analysis EA do. By
combining CA and EA, he argues, a language analyst can explain more clearly why certain students make certain mistakes.
2.1.8.4 In Defence of Contrastive Analysis
