Contrastive Analysis and Second Language Acquisition

1. The Nature and Scope of Contrastive Analysis

Contrastive Analysis represents a systematic branch of linguistics dedicated to comparing and contrasting two or more language systems. Unlike comparative linguistics, which primarily focuses on historical relationships and genetic affiliation between languages, contrastive analysis emphasizes synchronic comparison—examining languages as they exist simultaneously at a specific point in time. The field involves detailed examination of similarities and differences between language pairs at various levels: phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic.

The scope of contrastive analysis extends beyond mere identification of differences to include explanation and prediction. It aims to explain why certain features differ across languages and to predict potential areas of difficulty for language learners. The discipline operates at the intersection of theoretical linguistics, which provides frameworks for understanding language systems, and applied linguistics, which utilizes these insights for practical applications such as language teaching and translation.