simplification^1 n
(in the study of second language acquisition and error analysis) a
term sometimes used to describe what happens when learners make use of
rules which are grammatically (or morphologically/phonologically, etc.)
less complex than target-language^1 rules, often as a result of an over-
generalization. For example, a learner may have a single rule for
forming the past tense (by adding -ed to the verb base) ignoring exceptions
and producing incorrect forms such as breaked, standed. In studies of the
interlanguageof second- and foreign-language learners, simplifications
may be contrasted with errors which result from other processes, such as
language transfer.
simplification^2 n
(in language teaching) the rewriting or adaptation of original texts or
materials, generally using a word list and sometimes also a structure list
or grammatical syllabus, to produce simplified reading or other materials
suitable for second- or foreign-language learners.
see also graded reader
simplified reader n
another term forgraded reader
simplified vocabulary n
the vocabulary in reading and other instructional materials in which
difficult words or words outside of those on a word list have been replaced
by simpler words or words from a word list.
simulated oral proficiency interview n
alsoSOPI
a type of performance-based speaking test developed by the Center for
Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC, in the United States that approxi-
mates a face-to-face OPI as closely as possible in a tape-mediated format
where a ratable sample of a test taker’s spoken language production in
response to a set of tape-recorded native-speaker prompts is recorded on a
tape without the presence of an on-site tester and later rated by trained
raters according to the ACTFL Guidelines.
simulation^1 n
in computer assisted language learning, software using large data-
bases is used to present information in a simulated environment where
learner input changes outcomes, e.g. controlling variables in an ecosystem.
simulation