Error Analysis: Instructor Marwan Alalimi
Error Analysis: Instructor Marwan Alalimi
Instructor
Marwan Alalimi
Errors and mistakes
• An error : is a faulty utterance
produced by language learners as a
result of incomplete knowledge.
Cognitivists:
Errors are signs of language
development.
Error analysis is important…
why?
Errors are helpful for learners to
learn.
They are useful for teachers to
observe the learner’s progress.
They are valuable for researchers to
find out what strategies learners use
and how language is acquired.
Stages of error analysis
Recognition or identification of
errors:
First step.
E.g.
1- George and his child was watching T.V
2- Linda goed to school yesterday.
3- she has taken a translation exam last week.
comparison.
Stages of error analysis
Description:
Describing and classifying errors.
E.g.
1- George and his child was watching T.V
2- Linda goed to school yesterday.
3- she has taken a translation exam last
week.
Stages of error analysis
explanation :
Why errors occurred ?
2- Linda goed to school yesterday.
3- The students are clevers.
4- It is car.
Interlingual and
intralingual errors
Interlingual errors:
Errors caused by transferring rules
from mother tongue.
Intralingual errors:
Errors caused by second language
processing in its own terms.
Sources of errors
According to Jack Richards, there’re five factors
explaining learners' types of errors:
1. Mother tongue interference.
2. Overgeneralization.
3. Ignorance of rule restriction.
4. Incomplete application of rules.
5. False concept hypothesized.
Mother tongue
interference.
Differences of languages’
structures. Arabic – English.
E.g.
They are beautifuls.
They students.
Overgeneralization.
Simplification strategy.
Learned rule applied to all.
E.g. learning to pluralize (-s)
Two pens √
Two mouses – Three mans- Two foots.
Ignorance of rule
restriction.
The learner lack the knowledge of
the rule.
E.g. I will let him to drive.
I will make her to leave.
She can translates very well.
Incomplete application of
rules
Learners apply one of the two connected
rules.
In forming negatives and interrogatives
for instance:
She speaks English pretty well. (positive)
She does not speaks English pretty well.(negative)
Do she speak English pretty well? (interrogative)
False concept
hypothesized.
Learners wrongly assume something.
No rule’s ignored or overgeneralized.
E.g. Assuming that Verb be “am – is –
are ” , indicate present tense.
I am speak French.
You are dress elegantly.
Thank you