Contrastive analysis definition and benefits:

• A strategy that teaches students to notice differences in language and language variety1 and helps them select language
patterns that are appropriate for a given situation.
• Contrastive analysis benefits students because it frames Standard English as an addition to – rather than a replacement
of – a student’s home language.

Mindsets About Language:

Deficit-based:
Language varieties are right or wrong.
Students’ home languages are barriers to learning formal
English.
Students’ home languages must be replaced with Standard
English learned in school.
Students make errors and need to correct how they speak
and write.
Teach Standard English rules and patterns in isolation.
Asset-based:
Language varieties are more or less effective for a given
setting.
Students’ home languages are a reference point for
noticing differences in language varieties.
Students’ home languages must be preserved, and can be
used as an asset in learning Standard English.
Students use their home language, which follows different
patterns and rules than Standard English.
Teach students to notice differences in language varieties.

How To:
Here are actions you can take to begin using contrastive analysis with your students:
• Identify trends or patterns that reflect a student’s home language and variety when they speak and write (Wheeler, 2006;
Wheeler & Swords, 2006).

• Talk with students about how language use changes depending on setting. Here are questions that can help guide this
conversation:

o Have you ever changed the way you speak or write based on the people you’re with or the audience you’re addressing?
o Do you speak or write more “formally” in some situations than in others? What are they?
o Do you ever use words from other languages when speaking or writing?
o What could be a problem with telling someone that the way they speak or write is “wrong”?

• Ask students to share examples of how they would say or write a phrase, word, or expression in their home language.
• Guide students to identify patterns in their home language.
• Create a chart that contrasts features of students’ home language to those of Standard English and discuss the rules for
each. Have students share multiple examples for both languages. Post the chart where students can reference it.
• Engage students in contrastive analysis when opportunities arise to examine and discuss language use (e.g. writing
activities, reading multicultural texts, etc.).

Contrastive Analysis Chart Examples:

Plurals
Home Language: Standard English:
• I have two test today. • I have two tests today.
• She loves all her dog. • She loves all her dogs.

The pattern: The pattern:

• Number words • Noun + s
• Other signal words (e.g. all)
• Common knowledge

Adjective Placement (Syntax)

1 (González, 2008)
 Standard English • Spanish •
She is an excellent student. Ella es una estudiante excelente.
• It was a difficult test. • Fue un examen difícil.

The pattern:
The pattern:
• After the noun it modifies.
• Before the noun it modifies.

Common Grammar Patterns

Supplement

Common grammar patterns for speakers of African American Vernacular English (Wheeler & Swords, 2010).

African American Vernacular Pattern

Standard English Pattern and
and
Example
Example
Possessiv owner + thing owned owner + ‘s + thing owned
e My teacher name is Ms. Villa. My teacher’s name is Ms. Villa.
number words or other signal words in the
sentence noun + -s
Plurals
There are eight planet in the solar system. There are eight planets in the solar system.

Subject he/she/it + verb + s

any subject + bare verb2 plural subject + bare verb
verb
Samuel read quickly. Samuel reads quickly.
agreement
time words and phrases verb + -ed
Past-tense Last week, we learn the scientific method. Last week, we learned the scientific method.
I, he/she/it subjects3 + was
any subject + was plural subject + were
Was/Were Me and my group was working hard to finish Me and my group were working hard to finish
the activity. the activity.
I + am
I + am he/she/it + is
Am/Is/Are any other subject + is plural subject + are
My table and I is working on our project. My table and I are working on our project.
I + am
any other subject + rest of subject + a form of be
Be
sentence It my turn to be the It’s my turn to be the scribe.
scribe.

Common grammar patterns for speakers of Chicano English (Barrón

& San Román, n.d.; Fashola, Drum, Mayer, & Kang, 1996).
2 In this instance, the AAVE and English patterns for any other subjects would be the same. For example: We work quickly.
3 In this instance, the AAVE and English patterns for singular subjects would be the same. For example: I was at home.
 Chicano English Pattern and Example
on/to/from/in + object on used
interchangeably with in/to He is
Preposition
pointing on the whiteboard
substitutions
She is writing on her science journal.
“b” and “v”
We went on a bacation.
used
My dad plays vaseball.
interchangeably
barely + rest of sentence
Intensifier He barely finished his homework.
I barely have one pencil.
Standard English Example
at + object
He is pointing at the whiteboard.
She is writing in her science journal.
We went on a vacation.
My dad plays baseball.
just/only + rest of sentence
He just finished his homework.
I only have one pencil.

/ch/ and /sh/ You are my favorite teasher. I You are my favorite teacher. I
digraphs bought a new wash bought a new watch
yesterday. yesterday.
article + noun + article + adjective +
Adjective and adjective I live in a noun I live in a blue
noun structure house blue. house.
My dad has a truck white. My dad has a white truck.

How to compare languages:

1- choosing a special theoretical model.( traditional, structural or transformational)
2- then structures are compared and contrasted

Five steps for systematic comparison and contrast of two languages:

Selection- description- comparison- prediction-verification

1) selection:
􀀹 it is impossible to compare every sound , word , structure and etc.of two languages, so the analyst
should be limited.
􀀹 He/she can do the selection through:
- personal experience
- bilingual intuition
- error analysis
􀀹 In this step you should decide what is to be compared with what.
􀀹 two elements to be compared in two languages should be similar in some extent.

2) description:
1-The selected materials will be linguistically described.
2- two languages should be described within the same theory.
3- for describing the sound systems of two languages we use structural phonology.
4- for studying and describing syntax and morphology, there is no specific theory.
5-The focus is on differences not similarities

3) Comparison:
1-The similarities and differences are compared in three levels :
- form
- meaning
- distribution of items in 2 languages which have been collected
2- no comparison is possible without a full description
3- the basic elements and structures should be compared with each other

4) prediction:
1-Now the contrastive analyst can predict for the differences and similarities of two languages.
2-He / she should judge whether these similarities and differences are problematic or not (deviant
structures and interference structures are predicted.)
 3- sometimes deviants reflect the structures of mother tongue.

5) Verification:
1- It is the final step in a contrastive study.
2-To find out if the predictions made in the fourth step (prediction) is true in reality or not.( Do Filipino
learners of English, in reality commit the errors which the contrastive analyst predict it or not?)