For learners of Korean as a second language (L2), an intermediate language is a unique system that mixes elements of the native language (L1) and the target language, Korean, and develops differently for each learner. The intermediate language lacks consistent rules and does not form the same system of linguistic rules, which makes it difficult to communicate with native Korean speakers and with other learners. Various errors in an intermediate language occur as learners gradually approach the target language, and analyzing them can help you come up with effective language teaching strategies.
With the development of Korean society, it is not uncommon to encounter people who speak Korean as a second language. They learn Korean for a variety of reasons, including study, employment, international marriage, and simply to experience Korean culture. Learners with these different goals come to Korean from different backgrounds and use the language in different ways. For them, Korean is their L2, which is the language they first learned at birth, called their L1, and the language they learn after acquiring their L1, called their L2.
In language acquisition research, the unique form of language that emerges during the process of learning an L2 is called an intermediate language. An intermediate language is a language system that is neither the learner’s first language (L1) nor the learner’s second language (L2), but has elements of both languages. The system of the intermediate language is usually simpler than the target language, the L2, and the learner gradually develops the intermediate language toward the L2. During this process, learners make various errors, which are inevitable as they struggle to get closer to the L2.
Communication between L1 and L2 speakers of Korean can be hindered because they do not share the same langue. A langue is a set of linguistic rules shared by members of the same language community, and it is these rules that allow speakers of the same language to converse without major communication problems. For example, speakers of Korean dialects in Seoul and Busan can easily communicate with each other even if they don’t speak the exact same language because they share the same Korean langue. On the other hand, learners who speak an intermediate language do not form a unified langue because they individually form different intermediate language systems.
Therefore, a learner’s intermediate language is a language that is in the process of developing toward the L2, but it varies from learner to learner and does not have fixed rules. Because of this, people learning Korean as an L2 do not necessarily use rules that are entirely consistent with each other. For example, when an English L1 learner and a Chinese L1 learner learn Korean, they both try to follow the basic rules of Korean, but they form sentences in different ways and often make different errors due to their L1 characteristics.
L2 learners produce many types of errors during the development of an intermediate language. In the past, these errors were thought to interfere with successful L2 acquisition, and learning to reduce them was emphasized. However, errors are now viewed as a natural developmental process, and L2 learners’ errors are used to assess their language acquisition status and to find more effective teaching methods. These errors are mainly caused by negative transfer, which is when learners apply the rules of their native language to their L2. For example, a native English-speaking Korean learner of English might say the sentence “I go to school” as “I go to school”. This error is influenced by the preposition “to” in English, which means that the learner’s native language has interfered with the intermediate language.
However, not all errors can be explained by negative transfer. There are also errors caused by intermediate language rules, which are rules that learners make up until they have mastered the target language rules correctly. For example, if a learner who hasn’t mastered the Korean accents adds unnecessary accents to every sentence, this is an error caused by incomplete rules in the intermediate language. These errors are an inevitable byproduct of the L2 learning process, and they gradually diminish as the learner gains proficiency in the L2.
If we compare this to the language acquisition process of infants, we can see similarities with intermediate languages. This is because infants’ language systems are simpler than adults’, and they also undergo a developmental process. However, infant language simply develops into adult language over time, whereas intermediate language doesn’t necessarily get closer to the target language or develop into a full L2. The degree to which an individual acquires an L2 varies greatly depending on the language environment, the learner’s effort, and the language resources available to them, and sometimes learning can become stuck. This is called language lock-in, where the intermediate language stops developing and stagnates at a certain level.
These various errors and developmental differences in L2 learning are not simply learner limitations, but a reflection of the complexity of language acquisition and the need for pedagogical approaches that support it. Analyzing L2 learners’ errors and identifying their causes can be an important resource for understanding learners’ intermediate language systems and developing more effective language teaching methods.
