UNIVERSITY OF YANGON

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
AN ANALYSIS OF SYNTACTIC ERRORS
MADE BY FIRST YEAR PHILOSOPHY SPECIALIZATION STUDENTS
IN WEST YANGON UNIVERSITY
(PROJECT WORK ON ERROR ANALYSIS)
Submitted by
Name Ma Kyi Kyi Myint
Roll No M
2
E-46
Class MA II Semester 2
Academic Yr 2!-26
Contents
"# Introduction
"#"# $%eoretical &ac'(round
"# 2# Met%odolo(y and Nature o) t%e *ro+ect
"#,# $y-es and Causes o) Errors
2# Collection o) Errors
,# .iscussion o) Errors at Syntactic /e0el
,#"# /ocal Errors and 1lobal Errors
,#2# $y-ical Intralin(ual and .e0elo-mental Errors
,#,# Causes o) Errors
,#,#"# Mot%er-ton(ue Inter)erence
,#,#2# 20er(enerali3ation
,#,#,# I(norance o) Rule Restrictions
,#,#4# Incom-lete A--lication o) Rules
,#,#!# 4alse Conce-ts 5y-ot%esised
4# Su((ested Remedial $eac%in(
!# Conclusion
6# Re)erences
1. Intro!"t#on
1.1. T$eoret#"%& B%"'(ro!n
Error Analysis is a tool )or t%e study o) lan(ua(e learners# It is not li'e Contrasti0e
Analysis6 7%ic% see's to -redict t%e errors t%at learners ma'e by identi)yin( t%e lin(uistic
di))erences bet7een t%eir /" and t%e tar(et lan(ua(e# Contrasti0e Analysis is based on t%e
assum-tion t%at errors occur mainly as a result o) mot%er-ton(ue inter)erence 7%en t%e
learner trans)ers nati0e lan(ua(e 8%abits9 into t%e /2# :%ereas Contrasti0e Analysis loo's
at only t%e learner9s nati0e lan(ua(e and t%e tar(et lan(ua(e6 Error Analysis -ro0ides a
met%odolo(y )or in0esti(atin( learner lan(ua(e#
$%e si(ni)icance o) errors can be seen in t%ree di))erent 7ays accordin( to Corder
;"<=4># 4irstly6 errors -ro0ide t%e teac%er 7it% in)ormation about %o7 muc% t%e learner
%as learnt# Secondly6 t%ey -ro0ide t%e researc%er 7it% e0idence o) %o7 lan(ua(e is learnt
by t%e learners# $%irdly6 t%ey ser0e as de0ices by 7%ic% t%e learner disco0ers t%e rules o)
t%e tar(et lan(ua(e#
$%is -ro+ect is mainly based on t%e assum-tions made by Corder and Ric%ards in
t%eir Error Analysis studies#
1. ). Met$oo&o(* %n N%t!re o+ t$e Pro,e"t
Re(ardin( t%e met%ods6 t%is -ro+ect )ollo7s t%e ste-s su((ested by Corder ;"<=4>#
Accordin( to %im6 t%e )ollo7in( ste-s are included in EA researc%# 4irstly6 it be(ins 7it%
t%e collection o) a sam-le o) learner lan(ua(e# $%en6 it identi)ies errors and describes
t%em in accordance 7it% t%e lin(uistic ty-olo(y# A)ter t%at6 errors are e?-lained 7it% t%e
%el- o) a--lied lin(uistics# 4inally6 errors are e0aluated 7it% t%e intention t%at learners are
(i0en due remedial teac%in(#
In t%is -ro+ect6 a sam-le o) learner lan(ua(e is collected )rom t%e 4irst Year
*%iloso-%y S-ecialisation students o) :est Yan(on @ni0ersity# Since t%e number o)
students in total is =6 !A o) t%em ;i#e#6 , students> is assumed to be able to re-resent
t%e 7%ole class and t%e analysis is made on t%e )irst , students# 4or t%e sa'e o) security
in assessment results6 t%e data are numbered serially#
All t%e sub+ect students are s-ea'ers o) Myanmar as t%eir mot%er-ton(ue# $%ey
%a0e been learnin( En(lis% as a )orei(n lan(ua(e since t%eir Kinder(arten# $%eir e?-osure
to En(lis% is t%ere)ore about "2 years old# $%ey %a0e s-ent most o) t%eir sc%ool days
readin( and 7ritin(# S-ea'in( and listenin( s'ills %a0e been ne(lected and are 7ea' as a
result# 4urt%ermore6 it is learnt )rom discussions 7it% t%em t%at t%ey seldom did t%e
e?tensi0e readin( a-art )rom t%e -rescribed te?ts# &ein( t%e arts students6 t%ey are also
7ea' in t%in'in( and lin(uistic s'ills6 )or most o) t%eir sub+ects are tau(%t in t%eir mot%er-
ton(ue#
$%e data come )rom t%e tutorial e?ercise (i0en to t%em to elicit t%eir lan(ua(e
com-etence in com-osition 7ritin( s'ills# $%e e?ercise is 7ritin( an essay entitled 8$%e
$o7n I /i0e in9# $%e students 7ere (i0en t%e e?ercise 7it%out bein( told in ad0ance t%at
t%ey %ad to 7rite t%e abo0e-mentioned essay6 so it is belie0ed t%at t%e students 7rote it
do7n o)) t%e %andcu)) and did not 0omit 7%at t%ey %ad memori3ed and t%at t%eir errors
can in some 7ay re-resent t%e students9 lan(ua(e com-etence#
.ue to t%e constraints o) time and s-ace6 t%e errors at syntactic le0el are only
considered# $%e classi)ication and e?-lanation o) t%e errors are made on t%e basis o)
Ric%ards9 7or' A Non-Contrastive Approach to Error Analysis#
1.-. T*.es %n C%!ses o+ Errors
&e)ore 7e ma'e decisions about t%e 'inds and causes o) errors6 it is t%ou(%t t%at
7e s%ould )irst distin(uis% errors )rom mista'es# $ec%nically6 errors re)er to t%e de0iations
t%at arise as a result o) lac' o) 'no7led(e o) t%e tar(et lan(ua(e# $%ey re-resent a lac' o)
com-etence# 2n t%e ot%er %and6 mista'es occur 7%en t%e learners )ail to -er)orm t%eir
com-etence# Mista'es are6 t%ere)ore6 -er)ormance -%enomena and re(ular )eatures o)
nati0e-s-ea'er s-eec%6 re)lectin( -rocessin( )ailures t%at arise as a result o) com-etin(
-lans6 memory limitations6 and lac' o) automaticity# $%e sli-s o) t%e ton(ue and t%ose o)
t%e -en belon( to t%e e?am-les o) mista'es# Corder ar(ues t%at t%e Error Analysis s%ould
be restricted to t%e study o) errors and mista'es s%ould be eliminated )rom t%e analysis6
and t%ere)ore only errors are ta'en into consideration in t%is -ro+ect -a-er#
Corder im-lies t%at analysts o) errors may )ace -roblems o) 0arious cate(orical
distinctions in reco(ni3in( errors# $o o0ercome t%em6 %e -ro-oses an identi)ication-o)-
errors -rocedure t%at ac'no7led(es t%e im-ortance o) 8inter-retation9 and distin(uis%es
t%ree ty-es o) inter-retation# $%e t%ree ty-es are normal6 aut%oritati0e and -lausible# In
t%is -ro+ect -a-er6 t%e inter-retation and reconstruction )rom it are based on t%e
assi(nment o) meanin( to utterances accordin( to t%e rules o) t%e tar(et lan(ua(e and are
t%ere)ore normal by nature# Aut%oritati0e inter-retations are absent because t%ere %as
been no c%ance to as' t%e students to say 7%at t%e utterance means and to ma'e an
8aut%oritati0e reconstruction9 by doin( so# *lausible inter-retations can be )ound
occasionally since t%ey 7ere obtained by re)errin( to t%e conte?t in 7%ic% t%e utterance
7as -roduced or by translatin( t%e sentence literally into t%e learner9s /"#
Errors are described by lin(uistic cate(ories# @nder t%e title o) Syntactic Errors6
(enerally lin(uistic cate(ories are introduced suc% as passive sentences, the clause
structure, the phrase structure, the auxiliary system, conjunctions and so on# $%ese errors
are seen under sub-ta?onomies o) omissions6 additions6 misin)ormations6 and
misorderin(s# Since t%e -ro+ect is mainly concerned 7it% t%e syntactic le0el6 t%e results
are naturally centred on (lobal errors rat%er t%an on local errors#
Errors are t%en discussed accordin( to t%eir causes# Accordin( to Ric%ards6 7%ic%
t%is -ro+ect -a-er is based6 t%e di))erent sources or causes o) com-etence errors )all into
t%ree# $%ey areB
"# Inter)erence errors 7%ic% occur as a result o) 8t%e use o) elements )rom on
lan(ua(e 7%ile s-ea'in( anot%er
2# Intralin(ual errors 7%ic% re)lect t%e (eneral c%aracteristics o) rule learnin( suc% as
)aulty (enerali3ation6 incom-lete a--lication o) rules and )ailure to conditions
under 7%ic% rules a--ly6 and
,# .e0elo-mental errors 7%ic% occur 7%en t%e learner attem-ts to build u-
%y-ot%eses about t%e tar(et lan(ua(e on t%e basis o) limited e?-erience#
Intralin(ual errors are t%en subdi0ided as )ollo7sB
"# 20er(enerali3ation errors
2# I(norance o) rule restrictions
,# Incom-lete a--lication o) rules6 and
4# 4alse conce-ts %y-ot%esised
Naturally6 it is )ound not al7ays easy to distin(uis% trans)er and intralin(ual
errors6 and6 t%ere)ore6 errors t%at are not similar to /" acCuisition and t%at do not re)lect
t%e structure o) t%e /" are sa)ely re(arded as intralin(ual errors#
). Co&&e"t#on o+ Errors
$%e )ollo7in( list describes errors at syntactic le0el made by 4irst Year
*%iloso-%y students at :est Yan(on @ni0ersity# $%e list is collected )rom t%eir
com-ositions 7%ic% are enclosed to(et%er 7it% t%is -ro+ect -a-er in t%e a--endi?#
;$%e number re)ers to t%e com-osition6 and t%e letter a)ter it is t%e error number#>
"#a $%e $o7n I li0e in Insein
"#b It brid(e is connected in $%anda-in#
"#c $%e to7n distribution by reli(ion "#2 A &udd%ists6 "2#4A C%ristians#
"#d Yan(on .e0ision6 Ayeya7addy .e0ision6 &amars are t%e ma+ority o) in%abitants#
"#e My to7n culture )esti0als and -a(oda
"#) My to7n state *eace and .e0elo-ment council o) t%e onion o) Myanmar
"#( My to7n 2ctober celebrated t%e $%adin(yut 4esti0al
"#% A multitude o) -eo-le not %ad (at%ered to candle#
"#i At t%eir reCuest man I to7n 0isited#
2#a $%e to7n I li0e in 5lain( $%aryar#
2#b It is 0ery -eace#
2#c &ecause it %a0e a )amous *a(oda#
2#d 5lain( $%aryar %a0e a bi( brid(es#
2#e It is Aun( Day Ya and S%7e *yi $%ar brid(es#
2#) $%e reli(ious or traditional )esti0ity are %ar0estin( )esti0al and $%adin(yut )esti0al#
2#( $%ey are 0ery attraction -eo-le#
2#% 5lain( $%aryar %a0e a )amous monestry#
2#i Eery beauti)ul %a0e is 5lain( $%aryar#
,#a It is 0ery -leasant a to7n#
,#b It is 0ery (reat to7ns%i-#
,#c It li0ed in many -o-ulation#
,#d $%is to7n is bi((est in Yan(on .i0ision#
,#e $%is to7n is 0ery -lenty o) rice#
,#) $%is to7n is most -roduced rice#
,#( In t%is to7n is %eld yearly traditionar )esti0al#
,#% $%e sc%ool is 0ery (lory t%at is situated in t%is to7ns%i-#
,#i *eo-le are %eld one and one in t%is to7n#
4#a 5lain( $%aryar to7n in t%is many is )actory#
4#b It is t%e di))erent -arts6 t%at6 "6 26 ,6 4 ;3one>#
4#c Is t%e also in ot%er )actories#
4#d My to7n in t%e )amous s-ort center is t%e $%u7ana s-ort center#
-. D#s"!ss#on o+ Errors %t S*nt%"t#" Le/e&
-.1. Lo"%& Errors %n G&o0%& Errors
1lobal errors ma'e t%e communication di))icult to understand# $%e (lobal errors
%a--en 7%en t%ey 0iolate rules in0ol0in( t%e o0erall structure o) a sentence6 t%e relations
amon( constituent clauses6 or t%e relation amon( ma+or constituents# $%us6 connectors6
distribut