Comparative Analysis of English Language Learners' Errors across Different Linguistic Backgrounds
Abstract
The focus of the study is the comparative analysis of English as a second language learners’ errors across different linguistic backgrounds in Nigeria. The study adopted the descriptive research design. The population for the study consisted of senior secondary school students in Ondo State. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select four secondary schools and 26 students from four schools in Akoko Ondo State(12 male, 14 female). The sample consisted students from three linguistic backgrounds (Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa). The instrument used to gather data was a verbal ability test. The reliability of the instrument was determined through the test- retest method (r = 0.83). Four research questions were answered. The findings revealed that there was a significant difference in the scores of students from different linguistic backgrounds in their use of tenses, pronouns, spellings and pronunciation. On the basis of these findings it was recommended that students are to be given time to pay attention to their use of English tenses, pronoun, spelling and pronunciation so as to maximize their academic potentials and possibilities. There is need to give teachers chance to experience in-service training and seminars. This will make them conversant with current development in pedagogy and language itself.
References
Adeniyi F. O & Tunde-Awe B.M (2015) A Study of Spelling Errors in the Written English of Remedial Students of University of Ilorin, Nigeria. International Journal of Educational Issues (2015).
Akindele, F and Adegbite, W (1999). The sociology and politics of English in Nigeria: An introduction. Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Press.
Alexander. L. g. (1994). Right Words, Wrong word: Words and Structure Confused and misused by Learners. Longman ELT.
Avery. P & Ehrlich. S (1992). Problems of Selected Language Groups in Avery. P. and Ehrlich. S. In Teaching American English Pronunciation. Oxford Univerty Press.
Bamgbose. A (1982) Standard Nigerian English: Issues of Identification. In the other tongue: English Across Cultures Ed. Braj. B. Kachru. Urbana: University of Ilorin Press.
Brown, H.D. (1987) Principle of language learning and teaching. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Brown. H. (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. (Ed.),Investigating writing problems among Palestinian students studying English as a foreign language. Unpublished doctoral dissertation.
Corder. S. P. (1967). The Significance of Learners' Errors. IRAL, 5, 161-170.
Corder S. P. (1974). Error Analysis: Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition. London: Longman.
Corder S.P. (1981). Error analysis and interlanguage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chomsky. N.(1959). Review of Skinner Verbal Behaviour. Language. 1959, 35: 26-58.
Crystal. D (1987) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge university Press. Cambridge.
Edrogan. V. (2005) Contribution of Error Analysis to Foreign Language Teaching. Meisin University Journal of Faculty of Education.
Jibowo. et al (2005). Errors and Second Language Teaching and Learning. In Jibowo. A.V. (Ed). Longman, Language Teaching and Learning. Ibadan: Bounty Press Ltd.
Kachru (1981) The pragmatics of Non-Native Varieties of English. Urbana: University of Ilorin Press.
Lado.R (1977) Language Testing: The Construction and Use of Foreign Language Test. London: Longman.
Lenno. P. (1991) Error: Some Problems of Definition, Identification, and Distintion. Applied Linguistics. Vol 12 issue 2. Oxford University Press.
Maicusi. P. & M. J. Lopez (2000). The Error in the Second Language Acquistion; Encuentron Revista de investigacion e innovacion en la clase de idiomas. 11-168.
Ojetunde. C.F (2012) Nigeria Lexico-Grammatical Errors in Nigerian English: Implication for Nigerian Teachers and Learners of English.
Rahman. M.S and MD .M Ali: Problem in Mastering English Tense and Aspect and the Role of the Practitioners. Journal of Humanities and Social Science. Vol 20.
Richards. J. C. & Rodgers. T. S.(2001). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching (2nd edition). Cambridge. University Press.
Ringbom. H & Harvis. S (2009). The Importance of Cross-Linguistic Similarity in Foreign Language. Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching. In Long M.H. & Doughly. C (ed). The handbook of Language Teaching. Chichester: Wiley- Blackwell.
Roberts. M. & Griffiths. C. (2008). Error Correction and Good Language Learners. In Griffiths (Ed). Lessons from Good language Learner (pp. 282-293). Cambridge University Press.
Smith. L (1976) English as an International Auxiliary Language. RELC Journal. Vol 2.
Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal Behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Copyright (c) 2019 Kehinde Olufemi Ogunyemi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
