This paper aims at providing a comparison of phonological as well as inflectional properties of English and German. It presents an overview of how major differences between both languages correlate with potential problems in language learning. Furthermore, the problems in language learning of two languages of similar historical origin will be examined, in particular German native-speakers in learning English and vice versa. In addition, it might be significant to see how both languages are differently hard to learn. However, it has to be considered that the degree of difficulty in learning one of these languages differs for every individual person. Each section will concentrate on the question whether major differences between English and German correlate with potential problems in language learning, in particular sections 3.2, 4.3 and 5.
At first, some background information on these languages will be given. Afterwards, by presenting the phoneme inventory, particularly focusing on interference, this paper takes a specific look at the pronunciation difficulties of second language learners. Additionally, a short definition of the term ‘suffixation’ will be given in order to introduce the topic ‘inflection’.
Selected inflectional suffixes in English and German, with focus on nouns and pronouns, will be investigated separately with examples in order to give an overview about this morphologic process in both languages. What is also presented in this section is an extensive comparison of inflectional suffixes.
Furthermore, a survey was conducted in which students and people with less English and/or German knowledge were questioned. The survey is concerned with difficulties in learning English and German.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Background information on English and German
3. Phoneme inventory
3.1 General description
3.2 Interference
4. Inflection
4.1 Inflectional suffixes in English
4.2 Inflectional suffixes in German
4.3 Comparison of inflectional suffixes in English and German
5. English and German from a learners’ perspective
6. Conclusion
7. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to provide a comparative analysis of the phonological and inflectional properties of the English and German languages, exploring how these structural differences influence the challenges faced by second language learners.
- Phonological contrast and phonetic interference
- Morphological processes and inflectional suffixes
- Case systems and noun/pronoun declension
- Learner perspectives on language difficulty
- Comparative analysis of German and English grammar
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Interference
First of all, it is important to know where the term ‘interference’ comes from. Taking the basic theory of ‘language transfer’ into account, in which it is stated that “the effect of one language on the learning of another” (Richards/Platt/Weber 1985: 160) occurs in two types of language transfer: positive transfer and negative transfer. Positive transfer “makes learning easier” (ibid.) and occurs when both the native language and the target/second language have the same form. In contrast, negative transfer, which is also known as ‘interference’, is the use of a native language pattern/rule “which leads to an ERROR or inappropriate form” (ibid.) in the target language.
Regarding the phoneme inventory of both languages, this paragraph will demonstrate how major phonetic differences correlate with problems in second language learning. As can be seen from Table 1, /θ/ and /ð/ do not exist in German. Many students and/or second language learners may replace them by /s/ and /z/ because these phonemes sound similar in their pronunciation. This can cause misunderstandings, if a minimal pair is concerned, as is the case in example (1) (cf. Swan/Smith 2001: 39).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the comparison of phonological and inflectional properties between English and German, setting the focus on language learning difficulties.
2. Background information on English and German: Provides basic statistics and genetic lineage regarding both languages within the Indo-European family.
3. Phoneme inventory: Examines phonological contrasts, specifically focusing on how interference causes pronunciation errors for learners.
4. Inflection: Discusses the morphological differences between the two languages, focusing on suffixes, case systems, and gender distinctions.
5. English and German from a learners’ perspective: Presents a survey conducted at the University of Duisburg-Essen regarding perceived difficulty in language acquisition.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes findings, confirming that the higher grammatical complexity of German leads to greater perceived difficulty compared to English.
7. Bibliography: Lists the academic sources used for the linguistic and pedagogical analysis.
Keywords
Language Typology, Phoneme Inventory, Interference, Inflection, Suffixation, Morphological Process, English, German, Language Acquisition, Grammar, Consonants, Case System, Pronoun Paradigm, Second Language Learners, Language Transfer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this publication?
The work provides a linguistic comparison between English and German, focusing specifically on their phonological sound systems and their inflectional morphological structures.
What are the primary themes addressed in this paper?
The central themes include phoneme inventory differences, inflectional suffix usage, case systems, and the practical challenges these differences pose for second language learners.
What is the central research question?
The paper explores whether major grammatical and phonological differences between English and German correlate with specific, predictable difficulties during the language acquisition process.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author uses a comparative linguistic approach supported by existing academic literature and a primary survey conducted among students and language learners.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main part analyzes the phoneme inventory (including interference), the inflectional systems of nouns, pronouns, and verbs, and concludes with empirical survey results.
Which keywords best describe the document?
Key terms include Language Typology, Interference, Inflection, Suffixation, Phoneme Inventory, and Second Language Acquisition.
Why is the German case system considered more complex than the English one?
German maintains more robust inflectional categories, including distinct gender markers and a more complex set of articles (der, die, das, etc.) compared to the relatively uninflected English system.
What was the outcome of the survey presented in the paper?
The majority of survey participants identified German as significantly more difficult to learn than English, primarily citing its complex grammar and multiple article forms as the main obstacles.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Hülya Atasoyi (Autor:in), 2013, English and German. A Comparison of Phonological and Inflectional Properties, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/313281
