Topic

Error analysis on written English of two public and two private universities students

Abstract

This study seeks to identify and analyze errors by means of error analysis procedures. The objective of this study was investigating the written English errors of University students in males and females universities in Dhaka. It was conducted on purpose of identifying The written errors of English committed by the university students, estimating the predominant errors And the least ones and explaining the causes of the written errors of English committed by the University students .The sample of study consisted of 4 student selected from public and private university in Dhaka.

Introduction

Learning a Second Language (L2) is a lifelong process and it is often a challenging experience for L2 learners. Presently, English is an international language and is used as the language in international relations, and in exchanging knowledge and technology.

It is not easy for anybody to deny that English is one of the most important languages in the world. It is seen by large number of people as the language of art, science, politics and economics. So when one wants to cope with what happens in the world he must learn English language. Languages are of four Skills. English language is not an exception. It consists of four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

One of the most important components in English language is writing skills. The ability to write well is not an inborn skill. It is usually learned through a set of instructional practices.

It involves formulating new ideas and transforming information, which by itself is a complex process. By doing this, a learner engages in a two-way interaction between developing knowledge and developing text.

A good command of writing is an undeniable advantage that every student in schools strives to achieve. The ability to write well is not a naturally acquired skill. It is usually learned or culturally transmitted as a set of practices in formal instructional settings or other environments. Writing skills must be practiced and learned through experience. Writing also involves composing, which implies the ability either to tell or retell pieces of information in the form of narration or description, or to transform information into new texts, as in expository or argumentative writing.

Purpose of error analysis:

This study aims to achieve the following:

1. Identifying the written errors of English committed by the university students.

2. Estimating the predominant errors and the least ones.

3. Explaining the causes of the written errors of English committed by the public and private university students.

4. Providing suggestions for further research.

5. Providing suggestions, recommendation and guidelines to help the students to avoid the errors.

6. Help students to reduce their grammatical mistake.

7. Providing suggestion for preventing error in writing.

8. Providing proper instruction to the university students.

9. To improve students written skills.

Error analysis
For two public university students

Procedure for two public university students:

2 participants were administered to written a paragraph. For the first student named Zahidul hasan emon studied at university of dhaka required to write a paragraph entitled “Money is not the only measure of success in life” within a period of 20 minutes and a minimum of 120-150 words. And the second student Taher ahmed studied at National university required to write a paragraph entitled “ The Role of Computers in Everyday Life”.
The 1st student Zahidul hasan emon has written 10 sentences. See below:
“Money is not the only measure of success in life” 1. For most people in our modern-capitalism world, money is the first thing, and sometimes the only thing that measures success in their life. 2. So money has become the first common goal of everybody. 3. different careers, we will had different goals and measurements of our success 4. If he/she is an athlete, his/her success can be measured by lots of thinks such as wining tournaments, breaking records 5. If you are an scientist, the success in your life will mostly depend on your researches. 6. If he/she a musician, playing in the country’s orchestra or a number of his/her CDs that have been sold can be counted as the measurement of his/her success. 7. The other measurement of sucess in our lives is awards. 8. Money can bye his/her happiness sometimes, but not always. So another measurement of success is how happy his/her life is? 9. In addition, as times change, the measurement of in life success also changes. 10. It just depends on time, what goals has he/she and who is the one doing the judging Money is just the first common, one but it is not the only one. In short, a measurement of success in his/her lives can be many things.

*** Note: Bold underlined word indicates error in sentence.

Error analysis: Most Common Errors and correction of Errors for 1st public university student: Error classification | Correct sentences | 1.Topic sentence | Good | 2. Preposition mistake | So money has become the first common goal for everybody. | 3. verb tense a mistake with the verb tenses | different careers, we will have different goals and measurements of our success | 4. confusion word | If you are an athlete, your success can be measured by lots of things such as wining tournaments, breaking records | 5.Article error | If you are a scientist, the success in your life will mostly depend on your researches. | 6. omission of be verb | If he/she is a musician, playing in the country’s orchestra or a number of his/her CDs that have been sold can be counted as the measurement of his/her success. | 7.Spelling mistake | The other measurement of success in our lives is awards. | 8. word choice | Money can buy his/her happiness sometimes, but not always. So another measurement of success is how happy his/her life is? | 9.word order | In addition, as times change, the measurement of success in life also changes. | 10.concluding statement / termination | Good but need to be written more accurately. | 11.Coherence | Sentence order maintained. | 11.Idea | Good. | 12.Linking word ( used ) | And, such as, or, as, but, so, in addition, in short |
*** Note: Bold underlined word indicates correct word/verb/article/preposition etc for sentence.
The 2nd public university student Taher ahmed required to write a paragraph entitled “ The Role of Computers in Everyday Life”.

The 2nd student has written 10 sentences. See below: “ The Role of Computers in Everyday Life”

1. The computer is one of the most brilliant gifts of science. 2. Speed, acuracy, reliability, and integrite are the main characteristics of a computer. 3. The computer had proved a friend and servant of science, technology and industry. 4. It is an electronic device of storing and analyzing information fed into it, for calculating, or for controlling machinery automatically. 5. A computer has been dominating technology since 1970s, and has now entered almost all walks of live. 6. Use of computers has reduced a paperwork. 7. The traffic in large cities are controlled by computers. 8. In medical diagnosis, computers being are used to locate and investigate accurately and precisely abnormalities and diseases. 9. Computerization has been done in business, banking, electronic publishing, engineering, creative designing, fusion designing, etc. 10. Besides the computer also has its negative side. The rises of cyber crime, the use of chat rooms for indecent discussion, and certain websites, which deal in pornographic material have been noticed.

***Note: Bold underlined word indicates error in sentence.
Error analysis: Most Common Errors and correction of Errors for 2nd public university student: Error classification | Correct sentences | 1.Topic sentence | Topic sentence is not well enough. My idea about this topic sentence is: Computers are extremely important in the fast moving life of the modern world of today. | 2.Spelling mistake | Speed, accuracy reliability, and integrity are the main characteristics of a computer. | 2. verb tense a mistake with the verb tenses | The computer has proved a friend and servant of science, technology and industry. | 4.Preposition mistake | It is an electronic device for storing and analyzing information fed into it, for calculating, or for controlling machinery automatically | 5.Word choice | A computer has been dominating technology since 1970s, and has now entered almost all walks of life. | 6.Article mistake | Use of computers has reduced the paperwork. | 7.Subject verb agreement | The traffic in large cities is controlled by computers. | 8.Word order | In medical diagnosis, computers are being used to locate and investigate accurately and precisely abnormalities and diseases. | 9.Confusion word | Computerization has been done in business, banking, electronic publishing, engineering, creative designing, fashion designing, etc. | 10.concluding statement / termination | Concluding part is not good. I think concluding part can be written in this way: at last we can say that The importance of computers is almost an undeniable fact in today’s world. | 11.Coherence | Sentence order maintained. | 12.Idea | Idea of the topic is good. | 13.Linking word (used) | And, or, besides |

*** Note: Bold underlined word indicates correct word/verb/article/preposition etc for sentence.

Error analysis
For two Private university students

Procedure for 2 private universities:

2 participants were administered to written a paragraph. For the first student named farhana parveen studied at chartered university required to write a paragraph entitled “About my house” within a period of 25 minutes and a minimum of 120-150 words. And the second student Rayhan islam studied at Stamford university required to write a paragraph entitled “Money is not the only measure of success in life”

The first student farhana parveen has written 10 sentence. See below:
About my house

1. I live in a house in mirpur, Dhaka.
2. It isn't old or modern.
3. it’s a nomal house.
4. We can say it are near the stadium.
5. It takes about 5 minutes to go to the stadium side on foot.
6. We have one bedroom, one leaving room.
7. We also have two other rooms, too.
8. We use them as a dining room.
9. Naturally, have we a kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet.
10. I leave with my parents.
11. And our house has a little garden; my parents spend their time there to grow vegetables and fruit.

*** Note: Bold underlined word indicates error in sentence.

Error analysis: Most Common Errors and correction of Errors for 1st Private University:

Error classification | Correct sentences | 1.Topic sentence | Not good. | 2.No mistake | No grammatical or spelling mistake. | 3.Spelling mistake | It's a normal house. | 4. verb tense - a mistake with the verb tenses | We can say it is near the stadium. | 5. No mistake | No grammatical or spelling mistake. | 6.Confusing word | We have one bedroom, one living room. | 7.No mistake | No grammatical or spelling mistake. | 8.No mistake | No grammatical or spelling mistake. | 9.Word order | Naturally, we have a kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet. | 10. Confusing word | I live with my parents. | 11.Concluding statement/Termination | Not good. Totally irrelevant. | 12. Coherence | No sentence order maintained. | 13.Topic idea | Little basic idea but no sentence order maintained | 14.Linking word (used) | And, naturally, as |

*** Note: Bold underlined word indicates correct word/verb/article/preposition etc for sentence.

The 2nd private university student rayhan islam required to write a paragraph entitled “Money is not the only measure of success in life”

“Money is not the only measure of success in life”

1. If it is money, it can be a measure of economical success not for
Happiness.

2. wealth doesn't bring success And sucess doesn't always bring wealth.

3. Example, you can become very successful on your business, but very unhappy. Or you can be very rich, but have no real success

4. The meaning of word "success" is not one entity, successes is in different fields, aspects for example wealth, money, exams., inventions, sports activities etc.

5. Wealth should mean many things; family wealth, health, status, career fulfillment...etc.

6. I believe success in any field depends on one’s aptitude and aims and goals with application of the required efforts .

7. Without efforts no success can attain.

8. Therefore, I suggest one to select field/fields first to find success and required apply efforts/tools to reach success.

9. Then carry on in every steps taken to measure and he/she whether see attained success.

10. In brief money is not only the measure of success but there are many more.

*** Note: Bold underlined word indicates error in sentence.

Error analysis: Most Common Errors and correction of Errors for 2nd private university:

Error classification | Correct sentences | 1.Topic sentence | Very well topic sentence. | 2.Spelling mistake | wealth doesn't bring success And success doesn't always bring wealth | 3.Preposition mistake | Example, You can become very successful in your business, but very unhappy. Or you can be very rich, but have no real success | 4.subject verb agreement | The meaning of word "success" is not one entity, successes are in different fields, aspects for example wealth, money, exams, inventions, sports activities etc.etc. | 5.Wrong Modal used | Wealth can mean many things; family wealth, health, status, career fulfillment...etc. | 6.No mistake | No mistake has been occurred in 6th sentence. | 7.No mistake | No mistake has been occurred in 7th sentence. | 8.Word order | Therefore, I suggest one to select field/fields first to find success and apply required efforts/tools to reach success. | 9.Word order | Then carry on in every steps taken to measure and see whether he/she attained success. | 10. concluding statement / termination | Very good. | 11.Topic Idea | Overall idea is very good. | 12.Linking word (used) | And, Or, but, for, example, Therefore, In brief |

*** Note: Bold underlined word indicates correct word/verb/article/preposition etc for sentence.

My Feedback about error analysis of two public and two private university students:

Almost every university made mistake in their paragraph. Most common error has been occurred in their paragraph are such as: Tense, Subject verb agreement, preposition, word order, confusion word, etc. I think proper practice can increase their knowledge power which helps them to make sentence without error.

Conclusion

The results of the error analysis show that errors that participants committed were basically grammatical. The Participants also had a relatively weak vocabulary and their sentences were sometimes Incomprehensible. They committed errors in applying sentence structure rules in the English language. Hence, we can conclude that these participants have problems in acquiring normal grammatical rules in English.

This error analysis shows that common language problems students have, so that they can focus more attention on these types of errors. It will help the students to minimize or overcome their learning problems.

Source/reference

1. University of dhaka student named Zahidul hasan emon,department of BBA 2. National university student Taher ahmed,department of BBA 3. Chartered university student Farhana parveen,Studied at ACCA 4. Stamford university of Bangladesh student Rayhan Islam, Studied at BBA

Website reference

1.http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?pid=S165707902008000200008&script=sci_arttext#t1

2. http://mt.china-papers.com/2/?p=175827

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