Analysis and Assessment of Lexical Errors Committed by Saudi EFL University Students in Descriptive Essay Writing (A Case Study of College of Science & Arts- Tanumah, King Khalid University) (Published)
This study aims at investigating the lexical errors and their effects on the written performance of Saudi EFL university students of College of Science & Arts, Tanumah at King Khalid University in the second semester of the academic year 2019/2020. Moreover, the study aims at identifying and analyzing the lexical errors, determining the causes of these errors, and suggesting suitable solutions to these errors. The population of this study covers both all English language teaching staff and third level EFL university students in the above-mentioned college. The analytical descriptive approach is adopted to handle out this study. The study employs an error classification of six categories of lexical errors including errors of word choice, errors of literal translation, errors of paraphrasing, errors of distortions and errors of word formation .Testing and unstructured interview are used as tools for collecting data. The findings of the study indicate that the students commit lexical errors in their essay writing due to some factors such as interference of mother tongue and inadequate vocabulary knowledge and other factors. The study recommends, for example, that EFL university instructors should encourage students to increase their stock of vocabulary by providing them with reading materials on different topics and through exposure to words in contexts, and not only concentrate on introducing new words with their meaning in isolation. They are also recommended to give immediate feedback to students about the words usage during classroom activities.
Keywords: EFL university students, Error Analysis, Essay Writing, Lexical errors
Language Transfer: The Case of Teleconferencing Teaching/Learning in English Language at the Ghana Technology University College (Published)
This research work seeks to assess how computing, through teleconferencing could be used to contribute to the effectiveness of language teaching/learning in Africa, in general, and in Ghanaian universities, in particular through socio-cognitive and communicative language teaching approaches, explorative and investigative research. The study addresses the impact of French language on teaching/learning of English via teleconferencing teaching and learning in English. Language transfer has always occurred face-to- face delivery of teaching and learning but this research seeks to emphasise the results of learners’ performance through technology in didactics known as teleconferencing teaching and learning with the particular emphasis on errors committed. The study applies cognitive and socio-cognitive approaches to teaching/learning of languages via teleconferencing as well as using contrastive analysis to analyse common errors Francophone learners commit in English language (L3). It was discovered that the errors committed were due to language incompetence or perception blind spot or due to their background as francophone learners who have English language as L3, as well as overgeneralisation and wrong application of English structures. The paper stresses that language transfer or negative transfer either face-to-face teaching/learning or teleconferencing is concomitant of human existence, particularly in language teaching and learning.
Keywords: Cognitive approach, Communicative Approach, Error Analysis, Language transfer, Socio-cognitive Approaches, Technology in Didactics, Teleconferencing teaching/learning
Analyzing Indonesian-English Abstracts Translation in view of Translation Errors by Google Translate (Published)
This study seeks to investigate the frequency of errors in the translation of abstracts produced by Google Translate with reference to Keshavarzʼs (1999) model of error analysis. This research will be of great benefit to undergraduate students to use these findings as a guideline in writing a thesis abstract. Five types of error classification is used as the parameters, namely lexicosemantic error, tense error, preposition error, word order error, distribution and use of verb group error, and active and passive voice error. The data were obtained from several faculties at the Methodist University of Indonesia, Medan. A total of ten abstracts of undergraduate students’ paper from various faculties were randomly selected. The data are then compared on each sentence segment and any words or phrases found to have errors are analyzed. The study revealed that 21 frequencies in terms of lexicosemantic errors, 9 frequencies in terms of tense errors, 13 frequencies in terms of preposition error, 27 frequencies in terms of word order error, 15 frequencies in terms of distribution and use of verb group errors, 8 frequencies in terms of active and passive voice errors.
Keywords: Abstract Translation, Error Analysis, Machine Translation, Translation Errors
THE COMPREHENSION OF ENGLISH LEXICAL COLLOCATIONS BY KUWAITI EFL LEARNERS (Published)
This study aims to contribute to an understanding of the comprehension of lexical collocations by Kuwaiti EFL learners. Particularly, it attempts to investigate whether the participants’ English proficiency level affects their comprehension of lexical collocations. The results showed that Kuwaiti EFL learners have little awareness of lexical collocations in English. Also, it showed that there were differences between the advanced and intermediate Kuwaiti EFL learners in terms of their comprehension of lexical collocations. However, these differences were not enough to be statistically significant. Furthermore, the most frequent types of errors and the possible reasons for their occurrence were identified. The types Adjective + noun and Verb (action) + noun /pronoun/ prepositional phrase were the most problematic in comparison with other types in both groups. On the other hand, Quantifier + noun was the least problematic type. It has been suggested that L1 interference plays a central role in the acquisition of lexical collocations by Kuwaiti EFL learners. Additionally, lack of knowledge of lexical collocations may also be a main reason behind such errors. The study recommended that English language teachers need to pay more attention to lexical collocations due to their crucial importance in second language acquisition.
Keywords: Collocations, Error Analysis, Kuwaiti EFL learners, Kuwaiti Spoken Arabic, Lexical collocations, SLA
A LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF ERRORS IN LEARNERS’ COMPOSITIONS: THE CASE OF ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (Published)
This study reports the dominant linguistic errors that occur in the written productions of Arba Minch University (hereafter AMU) students. It examines the nature of the errors that AMU students commit in expressing their ideas in writing. A sample of paragraphs was collected for two years from students ranging from freshmen to graduating level. The sampled compositions were then coded, described, and explained using error analysis method. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that almost all components of the English language (such as orthography, morphology, syntax, mechanics, and semantics) in learners’ compositions have been affected by the errors. On the basis of surface structures affected by the errors, the following kinds of errors have been identified: addition of an auxiliary (*I was read by gass light), omission of a verb (Sex before marriage ^ many disadvantages), misformation in word class (riskable for risky) and misordering of major constituents in utterances (*I joined in 2003 Arba minch university). The study identified two causes which triggered learners’ errors: intralingual and interlingual. However, the majority of the errors attributed to intralingual causes which mainly resulted from the lack of full mastery on the basics of the English language
Keywords: Error, Error Analysis, Error Taxonomy, Interlingual, Intralingual, Linguistic Component