Which term describes the learner's evolving grammar that is not L1 or the target language, but a transitional system?

Which term describes the learner's evolving grammar that is not L1 or the target language, but a transitional system?

• A. Interlanguage
• B. Interference
• C. Fossilization
• D. L2 competence

Answer: (A)

Interlanguage describes the learner’s evolving grammar that sits between the L1 and the target language, acting as a transitional system. As learners try out how the L2 works, they form rules, test them, and sometimes apply them inconsistently—leading to a dynamic system that changes with new input and feedback. It’s not the native language, nor is it the fully correct target language; it’s a provisional set of rules that learners develop and revise over time as they gain experience with the language. This explains why you often see intermediate forms, such as applying a regular rule to an irregular form or mixing structures from L1 and L2. Over time, with continued exposure and correction, the interlanguage gradually converges toward the target language. Interference refers to L1 influence shaping errors, but it’s about external transfer rather than the learner’s own evolving system. Fossilization is when some errors become permanent, which is a possible outcome but describes a state, not the evolving system itself. L2 competence is the broader ability in the language, not specifically the interim grammar a learner constructs.