Exploring Factors Influencing Grammatical Error Rates in Conversational vs. Monologue Settings: A Study of Chinese English as a Foreign Language Learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61173/xvetny44Keywords:
Grammatical Errors, Oral Production, Chinese EFL learnersAbstract
Error analysis of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ language production remains a significant area of study in contemporary linguistics. While numerous researchers investigate the prevalence of various error types in EFL learners’ communicative interactions, there is a paucity of studies comparing error frequencies across conversational and monologue settings. This paper aims to explore the factors contributing to the prevalence of grammatical errors in conversational contexts compared to monologue settings among Chinese EFL learners. Employing a systematic approach, the study collects and analyzes oral data from Chinese EFL learners, focusing on grammatical errors in both settings. The findings shed light on the comparison of grammatical errors in conversational and monologue settings, revealing that conversational settings tend to elicit a higher number of errors compared to monologue settings, and identify factors contributing to differences in error prevalence. This research enhances existing knowledge on error analysis and offers practical implications for EFL instruction.
References
[1] Zhou, N. Oral participation in EFL classroom: Perspectives from the administrator, teachers and learners at a Chinese University. System, 2015, 53: 35–46.
[2] Mohammed, A. A. Error analysis of oral production by EFL students: A comprehensive study. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Growth Evaluation, 2023, 4(6): 269–277.
[3] Liu, J., & Wu, C. An analysis of grammatical errors in Chinese efl learners’ oral English. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media, 2023, 14(1): 201–212.
[4] Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. How languages are learned. Oxford University Press, 2013.
[5] Corder, S. P. The Significance of Learner’s Errors. International Review of Applied Linguistics. 1967.
[6] Alghazo, K.M. & Alshraideh, M.K. Grammatical errors found in English writing: A study from alhussein bin talal university. International Education Studies, 2020, 13(9): 1.
[7] Zahid, H. Grammatical error made by students in speaking English. European Journal of Linguistics. 2023, 2(3): 53–72.
[8] Shuk, L. C. Grammatical Errors in Written Assessments of Non-Native English- Speaking Undergraduate Students and Pedagogical Implications in Correcting Mistakes. International Conference on Social and Education Sciences, 2022.
[9] Hidayat, D.N. et al. An investigation into the grammatical errors of students’ writing. EDUVELOP, 2020, 4(1): 9–16.
[10] Patrik F. Language Acquisition and the Errors We Make - - A comparison between beginners and intermediate learners. 2009.
[11] Ting, S. H. & Mahadhir, M. & Chang, S. L. Grammatical Errors In Spoken English Of University Students In Oral Communication Course. GEMA OnlineTM Journal of Language Studies, 2010, 10(1): 53-70.
[12] Chand, G. B. Challenges faced by bachelor level students while speaking English. IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics), 2021, 6(1): 45.
[13] Susidamaiyanti. Grammatical Errors Made by Students in Speaking English. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 2021, 2(2): 23-33.
[14] Leonard, L. B., & Kueser, J. B. Five overarching factors central to grammatical learning and treatment in children with developmental language disorder. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 2019, 54(3): 347– 361.
[15] Amoah, S., & Yeboah, J. The speaking difficulties of Chinese EFL learners and their motivation towards speaking the English language. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 2021, 17(1): 56–69.
[16] Yu, Y., & Zhou, D. Understanding chinese EFL learners’ anxiety in second language writing for the sustainable development of writing skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 2022.
[17] Huang, J., & Brown, K. Cultural factors affecting Chinese ESL students’ academic learning. Education. 2008. Appendix A: Definitions and Examples of Errors The analysis of EFL students’ oral production errors revealed some common error patterns, including verb tense errors, subject-verb agreement errors, preposition errors, article errors, noun ending errors, and other errors. The definitions and examples of them are as follow: Verb tense errors refer to mistakes made in the use of verb tenses in writing or speech. These errors can include using the wrong tense, failing to maintain consistent tense Dean&Francis throughout a sentence or paragraph, or using inappropriate tense shifts. For example, using past tense instead of present tense (“She go to the store” instead of “She goes to the store”), or using present tense when past tense is required (“Yesterday, he is playing soccer” instead of “Yesterday, he was playing soccer”). Verb tense errors can affect the clarity and accuracy of communication, as verb tenses indicate the timing of actions or states described in a sentence. Subject-verb agreement errors occur when there is a mismatch between the subject of a sentence and the verb, resulting in grammatical inconsistency. In English grammar, the verb in a sentence must agree with its subject in number and person. For example, a singular subject requires a singular verb, while a plural subject requires a plural verb. Subject-verb agreement errors commonly occur when writers fail to correctly match the number or person of the subject and the verb in a sentence, leading to grammatical inaccuracies. Preposition errors occur when there is misuse, omission, or incorrect placement of prepositions in sentences. Prepositions are words that indicate relationships between nouns, pronouns, and other elements in a sentence, such as time, place, direction, or manner. Common prepositions include “in,” “on,” “at,” “by,” “for,” “with,” and “to.” Preposition errors can include using the wrong preposition, omitting a necessary preposition, or placing a preposition incorrectly within a sentence, leading to grammatical inaccuracies or confusion in meaning. Article errors refer to mistakes made in the use of articles (such as “a,” “an,” and “the”) in writing or speech. These errors can include using the wrong article, omitting articles where they are needed, or using articles unnecessarily. For example, using “a” instead of “an” before a vowel sound (“a apple” instead of “an apple”), or omitting articles altogether (“He went to store” instead of “He went to the store”). Article errors can affect the clarity and accuracy of communication, as articles play an important role in specifying and defining nouns. Noun ending errors refer to mistakes in the formation or use of noun endings in a sentence. In English, nouns typically change their endings to indicate plurality, possession, or other grammatical functions. Common noun endings include adding “-s” or “-es” to form plurals, adding “’s” or “’” to indicate possession, and adding suffixes like “-ity,” “-ment,” or “-tion” to form abstract nouns. Noun ending errors occur when these endings are applied incorrectly or omitted, leading to grammatical inaccuracies or confusion in meaning. Sentence structure errors involve issues with the organization, arrangement, or construction of sentences in written or spoken language. These errors can manifest in various ways, such as run-on sentences, fragments, awkward phrasing, or lack of clarity in the sentence structure. They may result from incorrect punctuation usage, improper sentence formation, or failure to adhere to grammatical rules governing sentence construction. Word order errors, on the other hand, pertain specifically to the arrangement of words within a sentence. In English, word order generally follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) pattern, though variations exist based on sentence type and emphasis. Word order errors occur when the sequence of words deviates from standard grammatical conventions, leading to confusion or ambiguity in meaning. These errors may involve placing modifiers in the wrong position, misplacing verbs or objects, or disrupting the natural flow of the sentence by rearranging its elements improperly.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 by the authors.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
