Error analysis (EA) is a technique used to describe the systematic nature of deviations in language learning, providing valuable feedback on learners' progress and challenges. It covers all types of errors, classifying them into interlingual and intralingual categories, and employs a methodology that includes error collection, identification, and classification. Despite its benefits, EA faces criticism for potentially misclassifying errors and its focus on learner deficiencies rather than overall language acquisition processes.

2. Error Analysis
What is EA?
EA is a technique which aims to
describe and explain the systematic
nature of deviations or errors
generated in the learner’s language.

3. Error Analysis
 The importance of EA?
2. EA helps to understand the
process of SLA.
3. EA shows statistically the
troublesome linguistic areas or
errors that L2 learners encounter
in learning.

4. Error Analysis
1. The errors give valuable feedback
to both teachers and learners
regarding learner strategies and
progress.
2. The errors also provide
researchers with insights into the
nature of SLA process.

5. EA Assumptions
1. EA is not restricted to errors
caused by negative transfer
from the L1, it covers all types
of errors.

6. EA Assumptions
1. EA, unlike CA, provides data
on real problems and this may
lead to right solutions in the L2
teaching.

7. EA Assumptions
1. EA is not confronted with
problems such as accurate and
explicit descriptions of
languages, compatibility,
knowing the two languages,
etc.

8. EA Methodology
1. Collection of errors
2. Identification of errors
3. Classification of error types

9. EA Methodology
4. Statement of relative
frequency of error types
5. Identification of the areas
of difficulty in the L2
6. Determination of
the source of errors

10. EA Methodology
7. Determination of
the seriousness of the error
8. Remedy by the teacher
in the classroom

11. Classification of Errors
Interlingual Errors Intralingual Errors
Or Or
Transfer Errors, Overgeneralization
i.e. Errors due to Errors, i.e. Errors
the effect from due to the effect
L1. from L2.

12. Classification of Errors
Interlingual Errors Intralingual Errors
Phonological
Syntactic
/b/ for /p/ Semantic
*Huda good student
Literal translation:
*You fall from my eye

13. Classification of Errors
Interlingual Errors
Intralingual Errors
Phonological
Syntactic
Count vs. Country
Semantic
*The letter sent to Ali
Idiomatic expressions:
*What’s up Mike!!

14. EA Critics
• Errors may be wrongly
classified between language
tasks. The same error may be
classified as interlingual and
intralingual:
*He intelligent.

15. EA Critics
1. EA stresses only on what the
learner cannot do at a given
point in time. It doesn’t give
any insights into the course of
SLA process.

16. EA Critics
1. Difficulty of error identification
which is mainly due to the
different usages of the L2
norms:
formal vs. informal context
spoken vs. written language

17. EA Critics
• Learners some times adopt the
avoidance strategy not commit
errors. In this case certain types
of errors don’t appear in the L2
learner’s performance.