ESL Learners’ Language Errors in a Reflective Writing Assessment

Abstract

Perceived as one fundamental element in language learning, grammar is reckoned important in ESL writing. ESL learners need to master the knowledge of how to transfer grammatical concepts into their ESL composition. However, Malaysian learners of English often repeat errors in writing which they cannot even recognize. The current study draws attention to the occurrences of language errors and examines their sources in Malaysian ESL learners’ writing. 40 students in their Semester 2 of diploma level were selected to participate in the study. Each student was to produce two essays of 100-word length. Each essay was first examined before language errors were identified and coded based on the parts of speech: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, Articles, Pronouns, Prepositions, Adverbs, Conjunctions and Determiners. For each type of errors, the sources were categorized based on interlingual and intralingual sources. 258 errors were identified with the most frequent language errors produced were verb errors while the least were determiner errors. The result revealed that the most dominant errors were caused by intralingual sources. This study would greatly help teachers to establish better curriculum and select materials to facilitate students in learning English and develop them as proficient learners who can self-correct language errors.

Academic Writing Difficulties for Indonesian Students in Pursuing Postgraduate Studies Abroad

“…Through this finding, the researcher discovered that most Indonesian students studying in six countries encountered negative attitudes toward academic writing. A similar finding also has been found from Malaysian students who were more pressured with negative attitudes and apprehension in their first year when they forced themselves to follow the regulation from their institutions to perform to the best of their academic skills (Che Hassan et al, 2019). Overall, the data indicated that almost all the students discovered that English academic writing is relatively easy (57.2%).…”

“…Students are more pressured with negative attitudes and apprehension in their first year when they force themselves to follow the regulation from their institutions to perform to the best of their academic skills (Che Hassan et al, 2019). In another way, low interest in writing reports and the like is a significant influence in line with their inadequate grammar comprehension.…”

The Students’ Ability In Writing Skill: Using Personal Pronoun In Narrative text

“…Several previous studies examined English Pronouns such as (Anderson, 1998;Che Hassan et al, 2019;Kitagawa & Lehrer, 1990;Qi, 2010;Uz, 2014). Those studies concern on how personal pronouns used in different context, while this present study discuss about the use of pronoun in academic writing in the form of narrative text.…”