This lecture provides a general feedback to the concept of error analysis and the stages of conducting error analysis, and the sources of errors. ..etc.

1. Error Analysis
Instructor
Marwan Alalimi

2. Errors and mistakes
• An error : is a faulty utterance
produced by language learners as a
result of incomplete knowledge.
• A mistake : is a faulty utterance
produced by language learners caused
by lack of attention, fatigue or
carelessness.

3. Error analysis
• The process of studying and analyzing
the errors which are made by second
language learners.
• It studies the types and causes of
errors.
• It is an alternative to contrastive
analysis.

4. How errors are seen by
behaviorists and cognitivists
 Behaviorists:
 Errors are signs of learning failure.
 Cognitivists:
 Errors are signs of language
development.

5. Error analysis is important…
why?
 Errors are helpful for learners to
learn.
 They are useful for teachers to
observe the learner’s progress.
They are valuable for researchers to
find out what strategies learners use
and how language is acquired.

6. Stages of error analysis
Recognition or identification of
errors:
 First step.
E.g.
1- George and his child was watching T.V
2- Linda goed to school yesterday.
3- she has taken a translation exam last week.
 comparison.

7.  Description:
 Describing and classifying errors.
E.g.
1- George and his child was watching T.V
2- Linda goed to school yesterday.
3- she has taken a translation exam last
week.
Stages of error analysis

8.  explanation :
 Why errors occurred ?
2- Linda goed to school yesterday.
3- The students are clevers.
4- It is car.
Stages of error analysis

9. Interlingual and
intralingual errors
 Interlingual errors:
Errors caused by transferring rules
from mother tongue.
 Intralingual errors:
Errors caused by second language
processing in its own terms.

10. Sources of errors
According to Jack Richards, there’re five factors
explaining learners' types of errors:
1. Mother tongue interference.
2. Overgeneralization.
3. Ignorance of rule restriction.
4. Incomplete application of rules.
5. False concept hypothesized.

11. Mother tongue
interference.
 Differences of languages’
structures. Arabic – English.
 E.g.
 They are beautifuls.
 They students.

12. Overgeneralization.
 Simplification strategy.
 Learned rule applied to all.
 E.g. learning to pluralize (-s)
 Two pens √
 Two mouses – Three mans- Two foots.

13. Ignorance of rule
restriction.
 The learner lack the knowledge of
the rule.
 E.g. I will let him to drive.
 I will make her to leave.
 She can translates very well.

14. Incomplete application of
rules
 Learners apply one of the two connected
rules.
 In forming negatives and interrogatives
for instance:
 She speaks English pretty well. (positive)
 She does not speaks English pretty well.(negative)
 Do she speak English pretty well? (interrogative)

15. False concept
hypothesized.
 Learners wrongly assume something.
 No rule’s ignored or overgeneralized.
 E.g. Assuming that Verb be “am – is –
are ” , indicate present tense.
 I am speak French.
 You are dress elegantly.

16. Thank you