U-shaped Development
U-shaped development describes a three-stage pattern in language acquisition where a learner first produces a correct form, then regresses to an incorrect form, and finally restores correct usage at a higher level of organisation. Far from indicating failure, the middle stage reflects active restructuring of the learner's interlanguage system.
The Classic Example
The best-known instance involves English irregular past tense:
| Stage | Production | What is happening |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | went | Memorised as unanalysed chunk |
| 2 | goed | Productive rule (-ed) overapplied — Overgeneralisation |
| 3 | went | Irregular form restored within a rule-governed system that handles exceptions |
The Stage 2 "error" is paradoxically evidence of progress: the learner has moved from rote memory to a generative grammatical system.
In SLA
Kellerman (1985) documented U-shaped behaviour in Dutch learners of English at the lexical-semantic level. Learners initially transferred even figurative (non-prototypical) L1 meanings to L2 (Stage 1), then became excessively cautious about L1–L2 semantic overlap and restricted transfer (Stage 2), before eventually acquiring target-like L2 lexical representations (Stage 3).
Shirai (1990) further examined U-shaped behaviour in L2 acquisition, demonstrating that the phenomenon extends beyond morphology to areas such as syntax and semantics.
Mechanism
U-shaped patterns arise when new knowledge destabilises existing representations. As the learner internalises a productive rule through input and practice, that rule temporarily overapplies to items that were previously handled by memorisation. The system must then accommodate both the rule and its exceptions — a qualitative reorganisation rather than simple accumulation.
Teaching Implications
- Apparent regression in a learner's accuracy may signal developmental progress, not deterioration
- A synthetic syllabus that expects linear gains after each lesson misreads the nature of interlanguage development
- Teachers should resist the temptation to over-correct during restructuring phases, as the system is actively reorganising
- U-shaped patterns are a normal part of developmental sequences and should be anticipated in assessment
References
- Kellerman, E. (1985). If at first you do succeed... In S.M. Gass & C.G. Madden (Eds.), Input in second language acquisition (pp. 345–353). Newbury House.
- Shirai, Y. (1990). U-shaped behavior in L2 acquisition. In H. Burmeister & P.L. Rounds (Eds.), Variability in second language acquisition (Vol. 2, pp. 685–700). University of Oregon.
- McLaughlin, B. (1990). Restructuring. Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 113–128.