Role: An Unresolved Dimension in Language Learning

Linguistic studies have investigated in detail social variables which influence native speaker performance. Van Ek, however, in his admirable taxonomy of basic learner requirements, postulates only a ’neutral ’ role, within the limited social framework of stranger speaking to stranger or friend to friend. This article1argues that while there may be very good reasons for not exposing the learner to ’marked language forms ’ at too early a stage, it is nevertheless neces-sary to prepare the learner to play the specialized role of learner, at least if it is assumed that the same learner will speak the language, which is clearly an assumption of all modern course books. But speaking the target language, as a learner, speaking to a fluent or competent speaker, is not a neutral role within van Ek’s terms, and a greater awareness of what role involves should be built into the teaching materials. The article makes tentative suggestions as to how this may be done without making radical changes in text boo