论第二语言与外语的界定

On the Identification of Second and Foreign Language

学术界对术语第二语言与外语的理解和使用一直比较混乱,导致两者的界定困难和误区。区别和界定第二语言和外语经历了从广义到狭义的发展过程,目标语环境的有无是第二语言和外语的本质区别,也是界定两者的基本依据,在目标语言环境下学习的非本族语是第二语言,而在非目标语环境下学习的非本族语是外语。在此基础上,本文阐述了语言地位、学习模式、语言水平等不能作为界定依据的理由。

The use and understanding of second and foreign language has been confusing,which misleads their identification. By studying their definition from the broad to the narrow sense,it reveals that the presence or absence of target language context is the essential distinction between them. Second language is a non- native language learned in the target language context,while foreign language is a non- native language learned beyond the target language context. It is concluded that the identification marker is the target language context. This thesis also elaborates why other features such as language status,learning mode,language proficiency cannot be the identification marker.