Stabilization
Stabilization is an extended period of no apparent progress in interlanguage development for a particular linguistic feature. It shares surface characteristics with fossilization — the learner appears stuck — but differs fundamentally in that stabilization is potentially reversible.
Long (2003): The Key Distinction
Michael Long (2003) argued that much of what researchers call "fossilization" is more accurately described as stabilization. His critique was both conceptual and methodological:
- Fossilization claims permanence — the feature will never develop further, regardless of input, instruction, or motivation
- Stabilization describes a temporary plateau — development has ceased for the time being but may resume given changed conditions
Long noted that "fossilization" had become a catch-all label for any non-target-like ultimate attainment, losing its technical precision: "a broad-brush method of characterizing what a learner did not do, not a competence issue, a matter of what he or she could not do" (Long, 2003, p. 513). He recommended that researchers focus on the well-attested phenomenon of stabilization rather than making unfalsifiable claims about permanent cessation.
What Triggers Stabilization
| Factor | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Communicative sufficiency | The error does not impede communication — no pressure to develop further |
| Reduced input quality | Exposure to other L2 speakers reinforces non-target norms |
| Lack of feedback | Without corrective feedback, the learner has no signal to restructure |
| Automatisation of non-target forms | Incorrect forms become fluent through repeated use — see Automaticity |
| Motivational plateau | External or internal motivation to improve diminishes |
What Can Destabilise It
Unlike fossilization, stabilization can be overcome through:
- Intensive, targeted corrective feedback
- Focus on form that draws attention to the specific stabilized feature
- Changed communicative demands (new context requiring higher accuracy)
- Study abroad or immersion that provides richer input
- Renewed motivation or new goals
Stabilization vs Fossilization
The practical problem is that the two look identical at any single point in time. Only longitudinal observation can distinguish them — and Long argued that the evidence required to claim fossilization (truly permanent cessation) is virtually impossible to obtain, since it requires demonstrating that no future change is possible.
Teaching Implications
- A plateau in learner progress should not be interpreted as permanent inability — it may be stabilization
- Targeted intervention during stabilized periods can restart development
- Teachers should vary the type and intensity of feedback, input, and task demands to destabilize entrenched non-target forms
- Backsliding during a destabilization phase may actually signal positive restructuring
References
- Long, M.H. (2003). Stabilization and fossilization in interlanguage development. In C.J. Doughty & M.H. Long (Eds.), The handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 487–535). Blackwell.
- Han, Z.-H. (2004). Fossilization in adult second language acquisition. Multilingual Matters.