Consequently, error analysis becomes one of the tutor's primary responsibilities. The task becomes even more complex when the tutor works with native speakers of English as well as foreign students. Although both groups encounter problems in the same areas, the nature of the problems differ for the foreign student, and as a consequence, the tutor must understand how and why these problems differ in order to most effectively help the student work toward error-free prose. Contrastive Analysis Proponents of contrastive analysis see language as a conditioned response and believe that errors produced by a second language learned result from the interference of the native language. Prime cause of difficulty and error in foreign language learning is interference coming from the learner's native language.
Difficulties are chiefly due to differences between the two languages.
The greater the differences, the more acute the learning difficulties will be. The results of a comparison between the two languages are needed to predict the difficulties and errors which will occur in learning the second language. What needs to be taught is discovered by comparing the languages and subtracting what is common to them. Some researchers believe the latter method to be the more valid of the two, and it is certainly a more realistic pedagogical approach. Thoroughly researching and knowing the language of every foreign student who might use the lab would be physically and mentally impossible.