Rule Fossilization: A Tentative Model1

A cybernetic model of factors involved in the fossilization of grammatical and lexical forms in learner grammars is offered. A distinction is made between affective and cognitive dimensions of a multidimensional channel of human communication. A distinction is also made between expected and unexpected feedback. It is argued that expected negative feedback on the cognitive dimension of language usage is the principal de‐stabilizing factor in the development of learner grammars. When the configuration of feedback to the learner becomes predominantly expected positive feedback on the cognitive dimension it is predicted that the learner's level of proficiency will tend to fossilize. Thus, the tendency toward fossilization of either correct or incorrect forms is governed by feedback principally on the cognitive dimension. However, if feedback on the affective dimension is not predominantly as expected, and predominantly positive, the feedback on the cognitive dimension will lose much of its force. Predominantly negative affective feedback whether expected or unexpected is likely to result in abortion of further communication attempts.