Interlanguage Fossilization: Description and Analysis of Fossilized Grammatical Items in the English Language of Secondary School Learners in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

Interlanguage fossilization is a universal phenomenon that commonly occurs among adult language learners. Secondary school learners complete secondary school level having not mastered the grammar of the English language as revealed by errors in their language performance. Grammar is the core element of language because other elements of the language relate to each other through it. It is also the most descriptive area of language comprising the structures, rules, systems and subsystems which combine to form utterances that effectively communicate ideas, facts and messages. The descriptive nature of grammar makes it complex and prone to fossilization in many aspects especially in the areas of the rules and subsystems. The performance of English language in Kenyan schools seems to be weak, particularly in the area of grammar, as indicated by the KNEC performance results and performance studies that have been carried out. One possible explanation of such performance could be that there is interlanguage fossilization. It had not been established through research whether there was fossilization. This study filled that gap. The objectives of this study were to identify and describe the grammatical items indicative of fossilization in the learners’ language, and analysed them to establish whether there is fossilization of grammar, and finally establish the areas of grammar that have fossilized. The interlanguage theory provided the theoretical underpinnings of the study. The study used students from some selected secondary schools in Nakuru County in the period between 2018-2020. Learners’ language was analysed using classroom written tests on selected grammatical areas that manifested the use of the various grammatical items that fossilize which include grammatical structures, systems, subsystems and rules. The findings were that there is fossilization in some areas of grammar. These findings can be used by curriculum planners and educators to formulate intervention strategies and remedial measures to facilitate progress in the development of the learners’ interlanguage until they achieve competence in the English grammar.

Keywords: English, fossilization, grammatical items, interlanguage, learners