Error: Identification, Description and Implication

Error: Identification, Description and Implication

An individual language user's deviation from standard language norms in grammar, syntax, pronunciation and punctuation are sometimes referred to as errors. In the case of an error, the person giving the wrong response simply suggests he does not know what the right answer is.

According to Pete Corder, one of the pioneers in the field, "Errors are deviations from correct usages resulting because a learner does not know the relevant language rule yet."

"The condition of having incorrect or false knowledge" (dictionary. Com).

H D Brown (1994) defines error as "noticeable deviation from the adult grammar of a native speaker reflecting interlanguage competence of the learners". (Principles of language learning and teaching, 3rd edition.)

Edge (1989) says "an error is what a learner can't self correct" (mistakes and correction. London. longman.)

Dulay and Burt (1997) define errors as: "those insane of deviation from the norms." (A guide to the study of meanings-london, Longman.)

Identification of Errors

To identify an error, we need to know 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 (1992) 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 (1997) 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.

Description of Errors

A number of different categories for describing errors have been identified. Firstly, Corder (1973) 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. This categorization can be exemplified as follows:

Omission:

Morphological omission *A strange thing happen to me yesterday.

Syntactical omission * Must say also the names?

Addition:

In morphology * The books is here.

In syntax * The London

In lexicon * I stayed there during five years ago.

Selection:

In morphology * My friend is oldest than me.

In syntax * I want that he comes here.

Ordering:

In pronunciation * fignisicant for 'significant'; *prulal for 'plural'

In morphology * get upping for 'getting up'

In syntax * He is a dear to me friend.

In lexicon * key car for 'car key'

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 (cited in Brown, 2000). Global errors hinder communication. They prevent the message from being comprehended as in the example below:

• 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:

* 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 (cited in Brown, 2000) is parallel with Corder's other categorization of overtly and covertly (1973). 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.

Pedagogical Implications of Error Analysis

Students' errors have always been of interest and significance to teachers, syllabus designers and test developers. This may lead educators to devise appropriate materials and effective teaching techniques, and constructing tests suitable for different levels and needs of learners. Hence, the implication of error analysis to language teaching can be viewed from the aspect of language teachers and syllabus designers.

Implications for Foreign Language Teachers

Teachers can benefit from the findings of error analysis in many ways. Errors tell the teacher how far towards the goal the learner has progressed and what remains for him to learn (Corder, 1987). Following the student's progress, the teacher is able to carry on his studies in accordance with what the learner needs to know and what part of the teaching strategy to chance or reconstruct. 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.

Implications for Syllabus Designers

Syllabus design of an English teaching course is a very important component of teaching-learning process. There are many factors to be considered to decide on what to teach to what level and age group. At this point, errors are significant data for syllabus designers as they show what items are important to be included or which items needs to be recycled in the syllabus. Keshavarz (1997) maintains that an error-based analysis can give reliable results upon which remedial materials can be constructed.

Student error is inevitable and natural part of student learning. Students' errors are not a negative reflection on the student, but rather a critical pedagogical feedback tool. By correctly interpreting the source of students errors teachers can gain meaningful knowledge about the students learning process and knowledge deficiencies.