ERRORS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

CONTENTS Introduction 1. Error analysis in English language teaching 1.1Identification of notions error and mistake 1.2 Error Analysis 1.3 Description of Errors 1.4 Error correction .2. Practical assignment of common errors in English language .2.1 Writing and grammar errors 2.2 Spoken errors 23 Conclusion .31 Summary .33 References .34

Appendices INTRODUCTION For years, there have been many studies on the process of first language acquisition and second language learning. Children learning their native tongue make plenty of mistakes are a natural part of language acquisition process. As they get feedback from adults, they learn how to produce grammatically and semantically acceptable sentences in their native language. It is inevitable that all learners make mistakes and commit errors.

However, that process can be impeded through realizing the errors and operating on them according to the feedbacks given. The steps that learners follow get the researchers and language teachers realize that if the mistakes and errors of language learners in constructing the new language system are analyzed carefully, the process of language acquisition shall be understood. The analysis of errors thus has become a field of linguistics in that sense.

In foreign language learning, error correction has become one of the important teaching processes. But actually, few teachers know a lot about error analysis and some related theories. They often take so negative attitudes toward errors that they could not tolerate any errors and tend to correct them as soon as they could find any. Learning English language is not an easy task. According to

Brown 4, p.5 , in order to master the English language, learners have to be adequately exposed to all of the four basic skills, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. The field of language teaching benefit from the findings of linguistics in many cases including error analysis. Many of the teachers complain that their students are unable to use the linguistic forms that they are taught. Lengo 14, p.15 states this situation is due to the teacher s false impression that

output should be an authentic representation of input. This belief ignores the function of intake- that knowledge of language the students internalize. Intake may be different from the teacher s syllabus being subject to be internalized. Error analysis enables teachers to find out the sources of errors and take pedagogical precautions towards them. Thus, the analysis of learner language has become an essential need to overcome some questions

and propose solutions regarding different aspects. In foreign language learning, error correction has become one of the important teaching processes. This study concerns the error analysis and its contribution to English language teaching at both linguistic and methodological levels. The work consists of Chapter I and Chapter II. Chapter

I deals with theoretical notions of error analysis and the importance of error correction. In this part we distinguish between notions error and mistake and make a classification of basic types of errors. Chapter II deals with the practical application of errors in writing and communication in English. Objectives of the course paper attempt to identify and analyze the errors in English teaching language, to devise teaching procedures to help the students deal with these problems.

The task of course paper is to give an answer for all questions about errors in teaching language, to develop students self realization and correction their own mistakes. Why errors occur and how they should be dealt with in the classroom have been puzzling teachers for ages. We have put the blame on the mother tongue, the foreign language, the teacher, his her training, the materials, the learners and their ears. Some kind of enjoyment is experienced by learners when

they identify their own mistakes. This awareness contributes to success. 1. Error analysis in English language teaching 1.1 Identifying an error goes beyond explaining what an error is. However, as linguists pay attention to the distinction between an error and a mistake, it is necessary to go over the definition of the two different phenomena.

According to Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics 16, p.252 a learner makes a mistake when writing or speaking because of lack of attention, fatigue, carelessness, or some other aspects of performance. Mistakes can be self-corrected when attention is called. Whereas, an error is the use of linguistic item in a way that a fluent or native speaker of the language

regards it as showing faulty or incomplete learning. In other words, it occurs because the learner does not know what is correct, and thus it cannot be self-corrected. To distinguish between an error and mistake, Ellis 10, p.27 suggests two ways. The first one is to check the consistency of learner s performance. If he sometimes uses the correct form and sometimes the wrong one, it is a mistake.

However, if he always uses it incorrectly, it is then an error. The second way is to ask learner to try to correct his own deviant utterance. Where he is unable to, the deviations are errors where he is successful, they are mistakes. 1.2 Error Analysis Error Analysis is a type of linguistic study that focuses on the errors learners make. It consists of a comparison, between the errors made in

Teaching Language and within that Teaching Language itself. Corder is the father of Error Analysis . It was in his article entitled The significance of learner errors 8, p. 181 that Error Analysis took a new turn. Errors used to be flaws that needed to be eradicated. Corder 8, p. 183 presented a completely different point of view.

He contended that those errors are important in and of themselves . In his opinion, systematically analyzing errors made by language learners makes it possible to determine areas that need reinforcement in teaching. This analysis, a branch of applied linguistics, emerged in the sixties to demonstrate that learner errors were not only because of the learner s native language. Error analysis, offered as an alternative to Contrastive

Analysis, may be carried out directly for pedagogic purposes. 10, p.146 According to Corder 8, p. 185 , Error analysis has two objects one theoretical and another applied. The theoretical object is to understand what and how a learner learns when he studies a language. The applied object is to enable the learner to learn more efficiently by using the knowledge of his dialect for pedagogical purposes. At the same time, the investigation of errors can serve two purposes,

diagnostic to in-point the problem and prognostic to make plans to solve a problem . The use of Error analysis and appropriate corrective techniques can aid effective learning and teaching of English. Relevance of Error analysis in Language Teaching Learning a language is a step-by-step process, during which errors or mistakes are to be expected during this process of learning. Corder 8, p.186 states that errors are visible proof that learning

is taking place. He has emphasized that errors, if studied systematically, can provide significant insights into how a language is actually learned by a foreigner. He also agrees that studying students errors of usage has immediate practical application for language teachers. In his view, errors provide feedback they tell the teachers something about the effectiveness of his teaching. According to Ancker 2, p.20 , making mistakes or errors is a natural process of learning

and must be considered as part of cognition. Weireesh 21 also considers learners errors to be of particular importance because the making of errors is a device the learners use in order to learn. According to him, Error analysis is a valuable aid to identify and explain difficulties faced by learners. He goes on to say that this analysis serves as a reliable feedback to design a remedial teaching method. Sercombe 17 explains that Error analysis serves three purposes.

Firstly, to find out the level of language proficiency the learner has reached. Secondly, to obtain information about common difficulties in language learning, and thirdly, to find out how people learn a language. Candling 5, p.146 considers Error analysis as the monitoring and analysis of learner s language . He refers to an error as a deviation. Stark 18, p.19 in his study, who also explained that the teachers

need to view students errors positively and should not regard them as the learners failure to grasp the rules and structures but view the errors as process of learning. He subscribes to the view that errors are normal and inevitable features of learning. He added that errors are essential condition of learning. Vahdatinejad 20, p.53 maintains that error analyses can be used to determine what a learner still needs

to be taught. It provides the necessary information about what is lacking in his or her competence. He also makes distinction between errors and lapses simple mistakes . 1.3 Description of Errors A number of different categories for describing errors have been identified. Firstly, Corder 6, p.34 classifies the errors in terms of the difference between the learners utterance and the reconstructed version. In this way, errors fall into four categories omission of some required

element addition of some unnecessary or incorrect element selection of an incorrect element and misordering of the elements. Nevertheless, Corder himself adds that this classification is not enough to describe errors. That is why he includes the linguistics level of the errors under the sub areas of morphology, syntax, and lexicon 6, p.36 Ellis 10, p.44 maintains that classifying errors in these ways can help us to diagnose learners learning problems at any stage of their development and to plot how changes

in error patterns occur over time. This categorization can be exemplified as follows Omission Morphological omission ex. A strange thing happen to me yesterday. Syntactical omission ex. Must say also the names? Addition In morphology ex. The books is here. In syntax ex. The London In lexicon ex. I stayed there during five years ago.

Selection In morphology ex. My friend is oldest than me. In syntax ex. I want that he comes here. Ordering In pronunciation ex. fignisicant for significant ex. prulal for plural In morphology ex. get upping for getting up In syntax ex. He is a dear to me friend. In lexicon ex. key car for car key

Appendix 1 Marking errors V wrong form of the verb - something is missing S wrong spelling WO word order S P wrong usage of singular plural form. An error may vary in magnitude. It can include a phoneme, a morpheme, a word, a sentence or even a paragraph. Due to this fact, errors may also be viewed as being either global or local 4, p.51 . Global errors hinder communication. They prevent the message from being comprehended as in the example

below Ex. I like bus but my mother said so not that we must be late for school. On the other hand, local errors do not prevent the message from being understood because there is usually a minor violation of one segment of a sentence that allows the hearer to guess the intended meaning as follows Ex. If I hear from her, I would let you know. The final group is the two related dimensions of error, domain and extent.

Domain is the rank of linguistic unit from phoneme to discourse that must be taken as context in order for the error to be understood, and extent is the rank of linguistic unit that would have to be deleted, replaced, supplied or reordered in order to repair the sentence. This suggestion by Lennon 4, p.53 is parallel with Corder s other categorization of overtly such as I angry are obvious even out of context and covertly 6,

p.38 . Overt errors are unquestionably ungrammatical at the sentence level and covert errors are grammatically well- formed at the sentence level but are not interpretable within the context of communication. For example, I m fine, thanks. Is a correct sentence but if it is given as an answer to the question of How old are you? it is covertly error. Errors may also be classified according to the level of language phonological errors, vocabulary, morphological errors, and so on.

They may be assessed according to the degree to which they interfere with communication global errors make an utterance difficult to understand, while local errors do not. In the above example, I angry would be a local error, since the meaning is apparent. Students often demonstrate accurate processing hearing of a word but make phonological errors when attempting to reproduce that word. In many cases, students hear or at least opt for a more familiar

word. For example Vocabulary errors when some words sound similarly from language to language. For example, sensible in English and sensible in Spanish. However, they have totally different meanings intelligent in English and sensitive in Spanish. These words are considered false cognates of these languages. If we use Spanish sensible to translate English sensible , we are making a translation error at the

vocabulary level. M 8, p.161 Corder introduced the distinction between systematic and non-systematic errors. Unsystematic errors occur in one s native language Corder calls these mistakes and states that they are not significant to the process of language learning. He keeps the term errors for the systematic ones, which occur in a second language. Sources of Errors As there are many descriptions for different kinds of errors, it is inevitable to

move further and ask for the sources of errors. It has been indicated in the fist part of the study that errors were assumed as being the only result of interference of the first language habits to the learning of the second language. However, with the field of error analysis, it has been understood that the nature of errors implicates the existence of other reasons for errors to occur. Then, the sources of errors can be categorized within two domains 1 interlingual transfer, and 2 intralingual

transfer. 12, p. 152 Interlingual Transfer Interlingual transfer is a significant source for language learners. Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics 16, p.310 defines interlingual errors as being the result of language transfer, which is caused by the learner s first language. However, this should not be confused with behaviouristic approach of language transfer. Error analysis does not regard them as the persistence of old habits, but rather

as signs that the learner is internalizing and investigating the system of the new language. Interlingual errors may occur at different levels such as transfer of phonological, morphological, grammatical and lexica-semantic elements of the native language into the target language. Intralingual Transfer and Developmental Errors Interferences from the students own language is not the only reason for committing errors. As Ellis 10, p.

86 states, some errors seem to be universal, reflecting learners attempts to make the task of learning and using the target language simpler. Use of past tense suffix -ed for all verbs is an example of simplification and overgeneralization. These errors are common in the speech of second language learners, irrespective of their mother tongue. Intralingual errors result from faulty or partial learning of the target language rather than language transfer. They may be caused by the influence of one target language item upon

another. For example, learners attempt to use two tense markers at the same time in one sentence since they have not mastered the language yet. Ex. When they say He is comes here , it is because the singularity of the third person requires is in present continuous, and -s at the end of a verb in simple present tense. In short, intralingual errors occur as a result of learners attempt to build up concepts and hypotheses

about the target language from their limited experience with it. Learners may commit errors due to this reason in many ways as in the following examples Ex. He made me to smile. I want learning English. The meat smells freshly. Doctors always give us good advices. I don t know why did he go. Errors are a means of feedback for the teacher reflecting how effective he is in his teaching style

and what changes he has to make to get higher performance from his students. Furthermore, errors indicate the teacher the points that needs further attention. Additionally, errors show the way to be treated when their sources are identified correctly. 1.4 Error Correction English as a foreign language learners make a lot of mistakes. Speaking, writing, grammar and spelling errors are practically way of life with teachers and learners

alike. It s a healthy problem though because with errors come corrections. And with correction comes learning. 4, p.92 The more errors learners make the more correction is done. The more correction is done, the more leaning that takes place. We most often learn much more from our mistakes than our successes. There are essentially three basic forms of error correction

Self-correction Peer correction Teacher correction Of these the most effective in English or foreign language skills acquisition is self-correction. When learners realize and correct their own mistakes, they are more effectively internalizing the language. The next most desirable and effective form is peer correction. When learners are able to recognize and correct their mistakes collectively, they actually help each

other to develop English language skills with less interference of their respective Affective Filters. 12, p.87 Finally, there is correction of errors by the teacher. An effective means, but one that should be last and the least frequently used form of English or other foreign language correction. In cases where the EFL teacher may not be a native or near-native speaker, has grammar or pronunciation problems, heavy

accent or speech traits or may otherwise desire to do so, recorded audio or video materials could be used to provide corrective modeling. 12, p.85 Concerning this problem, the most controversial issue is to treat them immediately or to delay. First, we are confronted with a dilemma - fluency versus accuracy. For communicative purpose, delayed correction is usually preferred. Some advanced students believe that when to correct errors is determined by the type of errors committed.

For instance, if they are pronunciation or grammatical errors, immediate correction is preferable, for post-correction cannot make learners remember anything. Furthermore, the overall situation in the classroom is also important. When the whole class is familiar with a word, but only one of them is singled out for being corrected, he or she would feel awkward. So, we can see that when to correct is very complicated.

Both the teachers intuition and the feedback from the students are equally important. We can categorise an error by the reason for its production or by its linguistic type. Categorising errors What s the reason for the error? It is the result of a random guess pre-systematic . It was produced while testing out hypotheses systematic .

It is a slip of the tongue, a lapse, a mistake caused by carelessness, fatigue etc. post-systematic . To be sure about the type of error produced by a student we need to know where the student s interlanguage is the language used by a student in the process of learning a second language . What type is it? According to James 13, p.125 , it is sensible to follow the three principles in error correction. Firstly, the techniques involved in error correction would be able to enhance the students

accuracy in expression. Secondly, the students affective factors should be taken into consideration and the correction should not be face-threatening to the students. Some scholars believed that teachers indirect correction is highly appreciated. They either encourage students to do self-correction in heuristic method or present the correct form, so students couldn t feel embarrassed. For example, compare the two situations 1

Student What means this word? Teacher No, listen, what does this word mean? 2 Student What means this word? Teacher What does it mean? Well, it is difficult to explain, but it means It is obvious that teacher s remodeling in 2 is more natural and sensible than the direct interruption in 1 . Up till now, both the theory and the application have been illustrated, in the next section we are

going to deal with both the significance and limitations of error analysis in language teaching and learning. In general, the teacher s job is to point out when something has gone wrong and see whether the student can correct himself, then, to find out if what the student say or write is just a mistake, or it is global or local. According to Hendrickson 12, p.97 , global errors need not be corrected and they are generally held true. But the expressions such as a news , or an advice are systematic errors,

and they need to be corrected. As for pre-systematic errors, teachers can simply provide the correct one. For systematic errors, since learners have already had the linguistic competence, they can explain this kind of errors and correct them themselves. So teachers just remind them when they commit such errors. As to what kind of errors should be corrected, it needs teachers intuition and understanding of errors. At the same time, the teacher should consider the purpose of the analysis and analyze them

in a systematic way. However, the technique of correction is not simply presenting the data repeatedly and going through the same set of drills and exercises to produce the state of over learning. On the contrary, it requires that the teacher understand the source of the errors so that he can provide appropriate remedy, which will resolve the learner s problems and allow him to discover the relevant rules. Thus, the source of the error is an important clue for the teacher to decide on the sort of treatment.

Harmer 11, p.57 suggests three steps to be followed by the teacher when errors occur. The teacher first listens to the students, then identifies the problem, and puts it right in the most efficient way. Corder 6, p.52 states that knowledge of being wrong is only a starting point. Skill in correction seems to lie in determining the necessary data to present to the learner and what statements, descriptive or comparative, to make about it.

For example, Brown 4, p.96 suggests that local errors as in the following example usually need not be corrected as the message is clear and correction might interrupt a learner in the flow of productive communication Ex. I gave she a present. On the other hand, global errors need to be treated in some way since the message is not comprehended clearly Ex. Daddy my car happy tomorrow buy. Errors in pluralization, use of articles, tenses, etc. are less important

than errors regarding word order, the choice of placement and appropriate connectors in terms of the comprehensibility of the sentence. Therefore, it is implied that priority in error correction should be given to global errors in order to develop the students communication skills. The knowledge of error analysis enables the teacher to monitor the students errors in this frame and take precautions where needed. Different kinds of tasks may require a different treatment.

The reaction of the teacher towards errors and the type of feedback to be given is usually determined by the position of the error in the objective of the task. Oral works are at crucial point in terms of corrections and feedback time. For oral works, it is usually recommended that students making mistakes during a fluent speech should not be interrupted, but be reminded of the mistakes and talk about the reasons.

The type of the feedback- form or content should be decided on according to the goal of the study. If the goal is to make the students practice a certain grammar point, it may be necessary to give a form feedback. Or else, if a pronunciation item is being practiced, the teacher should correct the related mistakes without interrupting the speaker 19 . The existence of errors has been subject to all language-teaching theories as they represent an important aspect of second language learning.

There are different opinions by different language teaching approaches regarding error correction 18 . Below is what they suggest for the correction of errors Audio-lingualism There is little need for correction at first sight. Latter one is not useful for learning. In audio-lingualism, there is no explicit grammar instruction everything is simply memorized in form. The idea is for the students to practice the particular construct

until they can use it spontaneously.An audio-lingual lesson usually begins with a dialogue which contains the grammar and vocabulary to be focused on in the lesson. The students mimic the dialogue and eventually memorize it. After the dialogue comes pattern drills, in which the grammatical structure introduced in the dialogue is reinforced, with these drills focusing on simple repetition, substitution, transformation, and translation.

Drills and pattern practice are typical of the Audio-lingual method. These include Inflection Where one word in a sentence appears in another form when repeated ex. Teacher I ate the sandwich. Student I ate the sandwiches. Replacement Where one word is replaced by another Ex. Teacher He bought the car for half-price. Student

He bought it for half-price. Restatement The student re-phrases an utterance Ex. Teacher Tell me not to smoke so often. Student Don t smoke so often! Repetition where the student repeats an utterance as soon as he hears it The following example illustrates how more than one sort of drill can be incorporated into one practice session Teacher There s a cup on the table repeat Students

There s a cup on the table Teacher Spoon Students There s a spoon on the table Teacher Book Students There s a book on the table Teacher On the chair Students There s a book on the chair 11, p.79 Cognitive-code learning Mistakes should be corrected whenever they occur to prevent them occurring again. Cognitive-code focuses on developing all four skills of language speaking, listening, reading, and

writing. In lessons, the main focus is on the communicative competence and learning the rules of grammar in its new Kolomiec s terms phonology morphology semantics syntax is overemphasized. Lessons focused on learning grammatical structures but the cognitive code approach emphasised the importance of meaningful practice, and the structures were presented inductively, i.e. the rules came after exposure to examples. 1, p. 55 Ex. The aim of the class is for learners to understand the rule of the day , which

is that the past form of regular verbs is made using -ed. The teacher elicits a dialogue that includes clear examples of the structure. The learners practise it, and the teacher uses it to elicit the rules. Interlanguage Mistakes are important part of learning. Correcting them is a way of bringing the learner s interlanguage closer to the target language.

Ex. Child Nobody don t like me. Mother No, say nobody likes me . Child Nobody don t like me. after 8 repetitions Mother No, listen carefully say nobody likes me Child Oh! Nobody don t likes me. 20 Communicative approach Not all mistakes need to be corrected. Focus should be on message rather than mistakes. Focuses on language as a medium of communication.

Recognises that all communication has a social purpose - learner has something to say or find out. The communicative approach is based on the idea that learning language successfully comes through having to communicate real meaning. When learners are involved in real communication, their natural strategies for language acquisition will be used, and this will allow them to learn to use the language. Example Practising question forms by asking learners to find out personal information about their colleagues

is an example of the communicative approach, as it involves meaningful communication. Example activities role play, interviews, information gap, games, l Monitor theory Correction does not contribute to language learning. The learned knowledge helps us to make corrections or change the output of the acquired system. The Monitor Hypothesis is concerned with language production the ability to use language is a result

of competence based on acquisition, while learning acts to enable speakers and writers to change the output of the acquired system before they speak or write . 2. Practical assignment of common errors in English language 2.1 Writing and grammar errors When writing we do not have the chance to rephrase or clarify what we are saying. Our message must be clear the first time. Written errors are also less tolerated than spoken

errors outside the classroom. Look at this model for correcting written work and evaluate it for your teaching situation. 1. Comprehensibility Can you understand the output? Are there areas of incoherence? Do these affect the overall message? Does communication break down? 2. Task Has the student addressed the task? 3. Syntax and Lexis Are they appropriate to the task?

Are they accurate? The role of planning Giving students time to plan not only results in a wider range of language being used, it also helps students to avoid some of the following Inappropriate layout No paragraphs Lack of cohesion Inappropriate style Whichever style of plan linear notes or a mind map these questions will help students to plan their writing ? What am I going to write? An informal letter etc

What layout do I need What information am I going to include How many paragraphs do I need What grammar vocabulary am I going to use What linking words because, and etc. am I going to use? Practical techniques ideas for correcting writing Training students to edit Even though they have invested time in doing a writing task, students often

don t spend a few more minutes checking their writing. The following activities not only help to develop students editing skills in a fun way, but also enable the teacher to focus on key errors without individual students losing face Grammar auctions From Grammar Games by M.Rinvolucri CUP Students receive a number of sentences taken from their written work.

Some are correct, some wrong. Students in groups have to try to buy the correct ones in the auction. They have a limited amount of money. The team with the most correct sentences wins Mistakes mazes From Correction by Bartram and Walton Thomson Heinle . Students have a list of sentences. Their route through a maze depends on whether the sentences are right or wrong.

They follow white arrows for correct sentences and black ones for incorrect ones. If they have identified all the sentences correctly they escape, if not they have to retrace their steps and find out where they went wrong. Correction techniques It can be difficult to decide on what and how much to correct in a student s piece of writing. Students can develop a negative attitude towards writing because their teacher corrects all their errors

or if the teacher only corrects a few, they might feel that the teacher hasn t spent sufficient time looking at their work. Evaluate the following techniques and decide which would be appropriate for your teaching situation. Underline inappropriate language in a piece of writing using a specific colour Using a different colour from above, underline examples of appropriate language Correct errors by writing the correct forms in their place

Use codes in the margin to identify the type of error s , for example, VOC a lexical error. Students have to identify the error s and if possible make a correction Alternatively put crosses in the margin for the number of errors in each line. Students then try to identify the errors and make corrections Put students into pairs groups. They correct each other s work using one or more of the techniques above

From time to time give students an individual breakdown of recurring problems in their written work. According to James 13, p.120 errors in writing such as tenses, prepositions and weak vocabulary are the most common and frequent type of errors that are committed by learners. Since grammar is seen only as a means to an end, some learners tend to re-emphasize its importance and in the process, they make many more errors. The learners usually face difficulties in learning the

grammatical aspects of the Target Language TL , such as in subject-verb agreement, the use of preposition, articles and the use of correct tense. Such errors can be seen clearly in the learners written performance 15, p.89 . The problems that the students are bound to encounter would be weak vocabulary, inappropriate use of grammar in sentences etc. For correcting written works, it is accepted that the teacher should not correct the students mistakes directly but instead, should put marks indicating there is something

wrong with that sentence, word, or punctuation. There are symbols to show the kind of mistake that teachers use. For example, it is better to write sp for spelling mistake near the wrong word, to write rw for the sentences need to be written once again, etc. than writing the correct form. Thus, students are able to correct themselves looking for the source of their mistakes. Errors based on the overgeneralization of learning strategies were seen in the usage of the simple

past tense form of a verb Appendix 3 . Several types of errors were noticed in the broad categories of regular Type 1 , and irregular verbs Type 2 . Type 1 was categorized into six sub-types. The first sub-type 1 was the omission of the past marker -ed, as in Ex. I think I like English at that time. line 02 Sub-type 2 involved the auxiliary do in negation, for example, I don t like school English but I liked line 12

Sub-type 3 consisted of be verb before an adjective, as in Ex I met one English teacher. He is very hard teacher line 14 Sub-type 4 seen as be verb before a noun, such as Ex. When, I went to Australia, my teachers are school teachers. line 18 Sub-type 5 involved a verb preceding the to-infinitive, as in

Ex. I began to listen music of song by English and want to read line 20 The last sub-type 6 consisted of the modal can, for instance, I enjoyed listening class, so we can watch line 31 These sentences represent a past context through the time orientation italics 9, p.48 however, the present forms of the verb underlined are employed to convey the past context, a very common tendency in this

error pattern. Other sentences such as I like her oral communication class. line 03 , and but I don t dislike him. line 13 are superficially correct at the sentence level, however, if the context, that is pastness, is taken into account, they are incorrect see other examples in lines 07-09, 16, 25, 28-29, and 34-35 . Another type of error was the production of past forms of irregular verbs by merely adding-ed see Type 2 such as feeled line 38, 40 , including a rare case of an adjective like harded line 37

. 2.2 Spoken errors 15 ways to correct spoken errors 1. Collect the errors for later You can then correct them later in the same class with a game like a grammar auction or just eliciting corrections from the class or in a future class for example writing error dictation pairwork worksheets or using the same techniques as can be used in the same class . Make sure you give positive reinforcement as well, e.g.

Someone said this sentence, and that is really good. Useful language Here are some things that people said in the last activity I heard several people say this one Can anyone correct this sentence? It has one missing word one word missing You need to add one word The words are in the wrong order You need to change the words around change the word order mix the words

up This is a typical mistake for students from Don t worry, even native speakers make this mistake sometimes every nationality makes this mistake This mistake is something we studied last week 2. Facial expression For example, raise an eyebrow, tilt your head to one side or give a slight frown. Most people will do this naturally, but there is a slight chance a teacher s expression will be too critical or too subtle for your students to pick up on, and you can amusingly practice facial expressions

in a teaching workshop by participants communicating certain typical classroom messages move over there to work with this person , work in pairs etc. using just their heads and faces, including feedback on spoken errors in that list. 3. Body language The problems with using body language to show errors could also be that it is taken as very serious criticism or that it is too vague. Possibilities include using your hands rolling a hand from side to side to mean so-so attempt making

a circle by moving your index finger to mean one more time or a cross with fingers, open palms or even forearms to show a very clear no or wrong - probably only suitable for a team game etc where the responsibility is shared , head tilted to one side to mean I m not sure that sounds correct , or shoulders hunched to reinforce I don t understand what you are saying . Again, practising this in a teaching workshop can be useful, as can eliciting other body language teachers

could have used after an observation. 4. Point at the correct language If you have something on the correct form easily accessible on the whiteboard, in the textbook or on a poster, just pointing at it can be a subtle but clear way of prompting students to use the correct language. What you point at could be the name of the tense or word form they are supposed to be using, a verb forms table or the actual correct verb form, a grammatical explanation, or another grammatical

hint such as future , prediction or polite . Useful language Have a look at your books the board The correct version is somewhere in this chart poster table You copied this down earlier. Have a look in your notebooks 5. Repeat what they said This can mean repeating the whole sentence, one section of it including the wrong part, the sentence up to the wrong part, the sentence with the wrong part missed out with maybe a humming

noise to show the gap that should be filled or just the wrong part. You can illustrate that you are showing them an error and give some hint as to which bit is wrong by using a questioning tone for everything you say or just for the wrong part . This method is overused by some teachers and can sound patronising if used too often or with the wrong tone of voice, so try to mix up the different versions of it described here and to alternate with methods

described in the other tips. Useful language The man GOED to the shops? The man GOED? GOED? 6. Just say the right version The students can then repeat the correct version or tell you what the difference between the two sentences was and why their version was wrong. Because the students don t do much of the work in this way of being corrected, it might not be as good a way of remembering the correction as methods where you give more

subtle clues. Its advantages are that it is quick and suits cultures, classes and students that think of elicitation as shirking by the teacher. It can also be more face-saving than asking them for self-correction, as trying to correct themselves risks making even more mistakes. The right version could mean the whole sentence or just the correction of the part that was wrong. In the latter case, you can then ask them to put it into the sentence in the right place and repeat

the whole thing. Useful language I understand what you are saying, but you need to say We studied this last week. Hardly has a different meaning to hard , so you need to say ? The past of say is pronounced sed . So your sentence should be ? 7. Tell them how many mistakes This method is only really suitable for controlled speaking practice, but can be a very simple way of giving feedback in that situation.

Examples include Most of the comparatives were right, but you made two mistakes and Three words are in the wrong position in the sentence are mixed up . Make sure you only use this method when students can remember what you are referring to without too much prompting. Other useful language Very good, but you made just one mistake with the passive For a tongue twister Good attempt Getting better, but in two places you said sh where it should have

been s . Can you guess which words? 8. Use grammatical terminology to identify the mistake For example, You used the wrong tense , Not the Present Perfect , You need an adverb, not an adjective or Can change that into the passive indirect speech? This method is perhaps overused, and you need to be sure that the grammatical terminology isn t just going to confuse them more. Other useful language Because that is the present simple, you need to add

the auxiliary verb do Say the same sentence, but with the comparative form 9. Give the rule For example, Since usually takes the Present Perfect or One syllable adjectives make the comparative with er, not more adjective This works best if they already know the rule, and you at least need to make sure that they will quickly understand what you are saying, for example by only using grammatical terminology you have used with

them several times before. 10. Give a number of points This is probably best saved for part of a game, especially one where students work together, but you can give each response a number of points out of 10. The same or other teams can then make another attempt at saying the same thing to see if they can get more points. If you don t want students to focus on accuracy too much, tell them that the points will

also give them credit for good pronunciation, fluency, politeness, persuasiveness and or originality of ideas. Useful language Very good fluency and very interesting, but a few basic mistakes, so I ll give your team a score of IELTS 5.5. Practice your script in your team again for 5 minutes and we ll try it one more time You got all the articles right this time, so I ll give you 9 out of 10 11. Just tell them they are wrong but nicely

Positive ways of being negative include nearly there , getting closer , just one mistake , much better , good idea, but , I understand what you mean but , you have made a mistake that almost everyone does that s a very common mistake , we haven t studied this yet, but and much better pronunciation, but With lower level and new classes, you might have to balance the need to be nice with the need to be clear and not confuse them with feedback language that they don t understand, perhaps by sticking to

one or two phrases to give feedback for the first couple of months. It can also be useful to give them translations of this and other classroom language you will use, for example on a worksheet or a poster. 12. Tell them what part they should change For example, You need to change the introduction to your presentation or Try replacing the third word with something else 13.

Ask partners to spot errors This is a fairly well-known way of giving feedback in speaking tasks, but it can be a minefield if the person giving feedback has no confidence in their ability to do so or in how well the feedback i.e. criticism will be taken, and even more so if the person receiving the feedback will in fact react badly. This method is easier to do and easier to take when they have been told specifically which language to use while speaking and so to look out for when listening, usually meaning controlled

speaking practice tasks. The feedback can be made even simpler to give and collect and more neutral with some careful planning, e.g. asking them count how many times their partner uses the target form as well as or instead of looking for when it used incorrectly. 14. Try again! Sometimes, students don t need much help at all but just a chance to do it again. This is likely to be true if you have trained them well in spotting their own errors, if there was

some other kind of mental load such as a puzzle to solve that was distracting them from the language, or if they have had a chance to hear someone else doing the same speaking task in the class or on a recording. Useful language One more time but think about the grammar more this time but concentrating on making less mistakes instead of speaking quickly Give it another go Do you want one more chance before you get the final score 15.

Remind them when you studied that point For example, Nearly right, but you ve forgotten the grammar that we studied last week or You ve made the same mistake as everyone made in the last test . What Corder points out below summarizes the view of error correction in language teaching 7, p.112 Language learning is not parrot learning we do not learn or practice examples.

They are the data from which we induce the system of the language. Skill in correction of errors lies in the direction of exploiting the incorrect forms produced by the learner in a controlled fashion. Firstly, by error analysis, teachers will get an overall knowledge about the students errors. Foreign language learning is a process of hypothesis and trial and error occurrence is inevitable. So the teacher should learn to tolerate some errors, especially some local

errors. Secondly, errors can tell the teacher how far towards the goal the learner has progressed and consequently, what remains for him or her to learn. So students errors are valuable feedbacks. We can do some remedial teaching based on their errors. Thirdly, errors are indispensable to the learners themselves, for we can regard the making of mistakes as a device the learner employs in order to learn.

Finally, some errors need to be handled otherwise, they will become fossilized. In a sense, error analysis theory together with other theories have enriched the second language learning theory in that learning involves in a process in which success comes by profiting from mistakes and by using mistakes to obtain feedback from the environment. With the feedback they make new attempts to achieve the more closely approximate desired goals.

Certainly, error analysis is significant, but it also has its limitations. First, there is a danger in too much attention to learners errors and in the classroom teacher tends to become so preoccupied with noticing errors that the correct utterance in the second language will go unnoticed. While the diminishing of errors is an important criterion for increasing language proficiency, the ultimate goal of second language learning is the attainment of communicative fluency in a language.

Another shortcoming in error analysis is the overstressing of production data. Factually language comprehension is as important as production. It also happens that production lends itself to analysis and thus becomes the prey of researchers, but comprehension data is equally important in developing an understanding of the process of language acquisition. Thirdly, it fails to account for the strategy of avoidance.

A learner who for one reason or another avoids a particular sound, word, and structure or discourse category may be assumed incorrectly to have no difficulty therewith. The absence of error therefore does not necessarily reflect native like competence since learners may be avoiding the very structure that poses difficulty for them. Finally, error analysis can keep us too closely focused on specific languages rather than viewing universal

aspects of language. CONCLUSION This study has been devoted to introduce what error analysis is and what sort of relationship it has with language teaching, and what contribution it provides for language teaching studies. The aims of the studies regarding error analysis can be summarized as follows Error analysis identifies the strategies that language learners use. It looks for the answer of the question why do learners make errors?

It determines the common difficulties in learning and helps teachers to develop materials for remedial teaching. In short, error analysis has twofold aims including theoretical and practical aspects. Theoretical objectives contribute to the linguistics studies and the most obvious practical use of the error analysis is to the teacher. Errors provide feedback about the effectiveness of his teaching techniques and show him what part of the syllabus he has been following needs further attention.

They enable him to decide on whether to move on to the next item or not. Studying the learner language in terms of the errors is something that teachers have always done for very practical reasons. Through the results of tests and examinations, the errors that learners make are a major element in the feedback system of the teaching-learning process. For this reason, it is important that the teacher should be able to not only detect and describe the

errors from a linguistic view, but also understand the psychological reasons for their occurrences. Therefore, the diagnoses and treatment of errors is one of the fundamental skills of the teacher. Correction of errors is as important as identification and description of them. In fact, the last two are preliminary for error treatment. The sources and the sorts of the errors are determiners for the sort of feedback.

In conclusion, the inevitable existence of errors has led researchers to study on them and find out the natural steps for language learning. Findings of error analysis function as facilitator in language teaching in many ways only if the teacher is aware of them and able to make use of them in the teaching process appropriately. After teaching English for several years, teachers become able to detect errors easily in their students pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, spelling, use and appropriacy, and their

ability to get the intended message across. The use of Error Analysis and appropriate corrective techniques can aid effective learning and teaching of English It is understood that learning a FL is a gradual process, during which mistakes are to be expected in all stages of learning. In fact making mistakes is a natural process of learning and must be considered as part of cognition. As a result, errors must be viewed positively.

Teachers have to recognize that learning ability varies from person to person . In addition, all language learning is based on continual exposure, hypothesizing and, even with the correct hypothesis, testing and reinforcing the ideas behind them . This study has shed light on the manner in which students internalize the rules of the teaching language. It further shows that error analysis can help the teachers to identify in a systematic manner the specific

and common language problems students have, so that they can focus more attention on types of errors. Error analysis is closely related to the study of error treatment in language teaching. Today, the study of errors is particularly relevant for focus on form teaching methodology. Summary За результатами тестів та іспитів, помилки, які роблять учні є основним елементом у системі зворотнього зв язку в навчально-освітньому процесі.

Використання aналізу помилок і відповідних коригувальних методів, можуть сприяти ефективному навчанню і викладанню англійської мови. Зрозуміло, що навчання іноземних мов являє собою поступовий процес, при якому помилки слід очікувати на усіх етапах навчання. Насправді, помилки є природним процесом навчання і повинні розглядатися як частина пізнання. Вчителі повинні визнати, що здатність до навчання варіюється від людини до людини .

Аналіз помилок дозволяє викладачам з ясувати джерела помилок і прийняти педагогічні запобіжні заходи по відношенню до них. Таким чином, аналіз мови учня став нагальною необхідністю подолання деяких питань і вироблення рішень із різних аспектів. Він тісно пов язаний із вивченням корекції помилок у викладанні мов. Виправлення помилок також

є важливим, як ідентифікація так і їх опис, яке стало одним з необхідних процесів навчання. Неминуче існування помилок привели дослідників до їх класифікування і створення природних етапів вивчення англійської мови. Сьогодні, вивчення помилок особливо актуальне для фокуса на формі методики викладання. REFERENCES 1. Коломієць В. О. Типові помилки при вивченні англійської мови.

Вища школа, 2001. 55 с. 2. Ancker, W. Errors and corrective feedback Updated theory and classroom practice. English Teaching Forum, 2000 38 4 , 20-24pp. 3. Brains Paul Common Errors in English Usage, 207-211pp. 4. Brown, H D. Principles of language learning and teaching. Third edition. New York, Longman 2000. 5, 51-53, 92-98pp.

5. Candling, R B. Vocabulary and language teaching. New York Longman Inc. 2001. 146p. 6. Corder, S P. Introducing applied linguistics. Middlesex, Penguin 1973. 33-38, 52pp. 7. Corder, S P. Error analysis and interlanguage. Oxford, Oxford University Press 1987. 112p. 8. Corder,

S P. The significance of learners errors. International Review of Applied Linguistics 1967 5 4 , 161-169, 180-186pp. 9. Doff, Adrian. Teach English. Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1988. 10. Ellis, R. Second language acquisition. Oxford, Oxford University Press 1997. 27-44, 86, 146pp.

11. Harmer, J. How to teach English. Essex, Longman 1998 57p. 12. Hendrickson, J M. Error correction in foreign language teaching Recent theory, research, and practice K. Croft. Readings on English as a second language 2nd ed Cambridge, MA Winthrop Publishers 1980. 79-87, 97pp. 13. Jame, C. Errors in language learning and use.

Addison Wesley Longman Limited 1998 118-125pp. 14. Lengo, N. What is an error? English Teaching Forum 1995 33 3 , 15-24pp. 15. Nik Safiah Karim. BM syntax some aspects of its standardization. Kuala Lumpur Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka 1978. 89p. 16. Richards, J.C. et al. Dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics.

Essex, Longman 1992. 252, 310pp. 17. Sercombe, P G. Learner language and the consideration of idiosyncracies by students of English as a second or foreign language in the context of Brunei Darulsalam. In A.M. Noor et al. eds. Strategising teaching and learning in the 21st century. Proceedings of the European Journal of Social Sciences

Volume 8, Number 3 2009 495 International Conference on Teaching and Learning. Faculty of Education Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 2000. 18. Stark, L. Analyzing the interlanguage of ASL natives. Newark University of Delaware 2001. 19p. 19. Ur, P. A course in language teaching. Cambridge,

Cambridge University Press 1996. 20. Vahdatinejad, S. Students error analysis and attitude towards teacher feedback using a selected software a case study. Unpublished Masters thesis. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 2008. 53p. 21. Weireesh, S. How to analyze interlanguage. Journal of Psychology Education. 9 113-22 1991. Appendix 1

Table 1 Most Common Errors and Examples of Errors Definition and Error classification Identification of errors Correct sentences and explanation of rule 1. Singular Plural A mistake with number singular and plural 1. Another problem is insufficient number of rubbish binsin plu around the canteen compound. 2. This is because the students always throw tissues, plastic bag sin plu, tissue wrapper sin plu and

bottle sin plu in the drain. 3. it leads to many other problemsin plu 1. Another problem is insufficient number of rubbish bins around the canteen compound 2. This is because the students always throw tissues, plastic bags, tissue wrappers and bottles in the drain 3. it leads to many other problems 2. Verb Tense a A mistake with the verb tense 1. We, the members of the cleanliness club of

SMK Engku Husain conductVTense a meeting. 2. The plates and glasses are very oily and dirty because not washesVTense properly. 3.The members of the cleanliness club of SMK Engku Husain havingVTense a meeting 1. We, the members of the cleanliness club of SMK Engku Husain conducted a meeting. 2. The plates and glasses are very oily and dirty because not washed properly. 3. The members of the cleanliness club of

SMK Engku Husain had a meeting. Verb Tense b Inappropriate verb construction 1. They are owingVTense us a good service. 2. So many dirty plates and glasses are servesVTense 3. The members of the cleanliness club of SMK Engku Husain havingVTense a meeting. Owe is a sativa verb and does not require the - ing participle 1.They owe us a good service. 2. So many dirty plates and glasses are given. 3.

The members of the cleanliness club of SMK Engku Husain had a meeting 3. Word Choice 1. Not washing and sweeping the flourWchoice everyday makes the floor dirty. 2. The workers should keep the canteen clean and healthyWchoice 3. This is due to the irresponsible attitude of the canteen staff.WChoice 1. Not washing and sweeping the floor everyday makes the floor dirty.

2. The workers should keep the canteen clean and safe. 3.This is due to the irresponsible attitude of the canteen workers 4. Preposition 1. So many dirty plates and glasses can be seeneverywhere at Preposition the school canteen. 2. The food to cater to Preposition the students during recess are not enough.

3. As the secretary at Preposition the club I have been assigned to write report. 1. So many dirty plates and glasses can be seen everywhere around Preposition the school canteen. 2. The food to cater for recess are not enough 3. As the secretary ofPreposition the club I have been assigned to write report. 5. Subject-Verb Agreement Wrong combination of subject and verb 1.

A large number of students isS VAgreement sick. 2. We need to be careful because it dealingS Vagreement with health. 3. The dirts always stick in the food that the studentsS Vagreement are Eating. 4. It causes fights because there are no chairs to sitsS VAgreement A large number refers to more than one person, i.e. plural subject and requires plural verb

are 1. A large number of students are sick . 2. We need to be careful because it deals with Health. 3. The dirts always stick in the food that the students eat. 4. It causes fights because there are no chairs to sit. 6. Word Order Disordering Inversion of subject and verb 1. We don t know why are we WOrder facing these problems.

2. Dirty kitchen area is another problemWOrder 3. Although in the canteen, number of rubbish binsWOrder are not enough. Subject-verb inversion why are we facing in the interrogative but inversion ruled out in the form of statement why we are 1. I don t know why we are facing these Problems 2. Another problem is dirty kitchen area 3.

Although the number of rubbish bins in the canteen,WOrder are not enough. Appendix 2 At the first day of the semester break we went to Terengganu, a state located in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is very popular of its batik and songket. The people involved are good in designing the various fine patterns.

On this reason, their batik and songket are well-known throughout the world. The promotion of their batik and songket products always appear on the newspapers and other printed media. Eventhough some of their designs are similar with those produced by other states. This has not caused any problems to Terengganu s products. Instead this has given a good impact in its local industry.

There is a tendency in succeeding in this field in the near future, which in the same time will not only benefit Terengganu but also Malaysia. 1. Kelantan is famous of its batik. 2. This article appeared on yesterday s newspaper. 3. My father is very good in Maths. 4. I never smile. On this reason, I have very few friends. 5. Suzana should stop creating problems to her family,

6. Higher tin prices will help tin miners and in the same time improve our economy. 7. The incident had a great effect to Ibrahim. 8. At the first day of term, we were all very confused. 9. These small cakes are similar with the ones my sister bakes. 10. At last, Chee Poh saw a chance in succeeding in the food industry.

It is not too late for Oliver to realize that there is an opportunity in developing a business, and in the same time continue his study. He does not want to cause any problem to his family. His father was well-known of his generosity, and the news of his death appeared on the newspaper. His death has a great impact to Oliver. At the first day after his father s death, he decided to stop studying. On this reason, his mother was very upset.

She did not want Oliver to do something similar with her elder son, because she knows that he is very good in his studies. Appendix 3 General Misuse or Over-generalization Errors Type 1 Underlined verbs are over-generalized present tense to represent pastness in narrative, resulting in errors. Subtype 1 verb for verb ed 01 I didn t like English very much, but I like 02 I think

I like English at that time. 03 I like her oral communication class. 04 I didn t understand English but I also like a lot of games 05 First, I hate English study, because, our English teacher was not 06 So I was tired and hate English 07 I hate it because I must learn it fast. 08 I prefer the reader class than the grammer.

09 So I choose the G course of Aichi women s Junior College. 10 I went to Juku cram school before enter junior college. Subtype 2 do not verb for did not verb 11 Because I don t like English teacher when I was 12 I don t like school English but I liked 13 but I don t dislike him. Subtype 3 is adjective for was adjective 14

The second year of high school, I met one English teacher. He is very hard teacher 15 I learned many English words and Grammar for examination of college. Though English study is very boring Subtype 4 is are noun for was were noun 16 However, it s a small worry. 17 When I was junior high school, my favorite class is

English. 18 When, I went to Australia, my teachers are school teachers. 19 In high school, I met one women, Her name is Sheryl. She is from New Zealand. Subtype 5 verb to-infinitive for verb ed to-infinite 20 I began to listen music of song by English and want to read 21 I want to go abroad to study, but my high school teacher couldn t take test for to go abroad because

my English score was bad 22 That time I decided I want to learn English more and I want to know 23 I studied it hard because I want to 24 This course s entrance exam was English, so I have to study 25 Because, we have to pass 26 I spoke English with And I talk to English with 27 When I was high school,

I like to study English because I had Australian 28 I want to be good English speaker and I want to somewhere by myself. 29 I would like to go Costa-rica or Tailand . 30 I d like to talk in English when I was Subtype 6 can verb for could verb 31 I enjoyed listening class, so we can watch 32 Teacher told us to learn by heart as much as we can .

33 When I was kindergarden, I knew English first time. I can speek only 2 words. 34 I m very happy and I can studied real English. 35 and we can stady more speaking and Type 2 Underlined irregular verbs are over-generalized and resulted in errors. irregular verb ed for irregular past 36 I singed English, but I didn t feel it is English.

37 I wanted to work in Hotel, so I harded to study English. 38 I feeled it is difficult stuying English for me, yet. 39 She sometimes teached us English after school. 40 so I feeled English is difficult 41 but they speaked srow for me. 42 My teacher teached easy to us. 43 I was writted a reseave by teacher. refers to ambiguity in or

a mismatch with the specific Type Subtype