Errors in the Use of English Articles Among EFL Students. A Moroccan Case Study

Case Study , 2019 , 27 Pages , Grade: 18/20

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

In the realm of second language acquisition, the comprehension of challenges faced by learners, particularly concerning linguistic structures like articles in English, is paramount. This study is centered on the identification and analysis of errors made by EFL learners in utilizing the English article system, with a specific focus on tracing the origins of these errors.

The significance of this investigation lies in its potential to illuminate the complexities inherent in the learning process and provide insights into effective teaching methods. By examining the errors made by forty EFL learners through a questionnaire test and utilizing the Surface Structure Taxonomy (SST) framework to categorize these errors, this research aims to classify errors into three main types: Addition, Omission, and Substitution. Additionally, it seeks to differentiate between interlingual errors, stemming from the influence of the learners' native language, Arabic, and intralingual errors, resulting from gaps or misconceptions in English article rules.

Initial findings indicate that addition errors are the most common among EFL learners, followed by substitution errors, while omission errors are less frequent. Moreover, the analysis suggests a significant impact of Arabic language norms on the use of English articles by learners, with some errors originating from the negative transfer of Arabic article rules.

Through this study, valuable insights are provided for educators to better understand the challenges faced by EFL learners in mastering the English article system. By addressing these challenges and offering recommendations based on the findings, a contribution is made to the improvement of language instruction methodologies and the facilitation of more effective language learning experiences.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Abstract
• I. INTRODUCTION
• II. LITERATURE RIVIEW
  • 2.1 Articles in English and Arabic: Definition and Differences in use
    • 2.1.1 Definition
    • 2.1.2 Differences in use
  • 2.2 The acquisition of English articles
  • 2.3 Linguistic impact and the use of English Articles
    • 2.3.1 Definition and theoretical background
    • 2.3.2 Transfer and Article error
    • 2.3.3 The Role of L1 in the Acquisition of English Articles by Native Speakers of Arabic
    • 2.3.4 Language transfer – interference
    • 2.3.5 Overgeneralization
  • 2.4 Contrastive analysis / Error Analysis
    • 2.4.1 Contrastive Analysis
    • 2.4.2 The history of Contrastive Analysis
    • 2.4.3 Error Analysis
    • 2.4.4 The history of Error Analysis
  • 2.5- Error versus Mistake
    • 2.5.1 Mistakes
    • 2.5.2 Slips and attempts
    • 2.5.3 Performance versus Competence
    • 2.5.4 Errors
    • 2.5.5 Type of errors
• III. Methodology
  • 3.1- Participants
  • 3.2- Instrument
  • 3.3- Findings
    • 3.3.1- Results and discussion
    • 3.3.2- Data analysis
    • 3.3.3- The Identification of the types of errors made by the participants
    • 3.3.4-Source of Article errors
• IV. Findings
  • 4.1- Findings

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This dissertation aims to explore the challenges faced by EFL learners in using the English article system, specifically focusing on identifying the errors made and their potential sources. The study investigates the frequency and nature of article errors through a questionnaire test administered to a group of learners.

• Errors in the use of English articles by EFL learners
• The sources of these errors, including interlingual and intralingual factors
• The role of the learner's first language (L1) in article acquisition
• The application of contrastive analysis and error analysis in understanding article errors
• The impact of the Arabic article system on English article use

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction provides a general overview of the challenges that EFL learners face with English articles, highlighting the significance of analyzing these errors to improve learning efficiency. The chapter also outlines the research questions and structure of the dissertation.

Chapter 2 presents a theoretical framework for understanding English and Arabic articles, exploring the acquisition of English articles, the linguistic impact of the article system, and the application of contrastive analysis and error analysis to study language acquisition. The chapter delves into the concept of error versus mistake, discussing different types of errors and their sources.

Chapter 3 describes the methodology used in the study, outlining the participants, instruments, and data analysis procedures. It focuses on the identification of error types and their potential sources, including interlingual and intralingual errors.

Chapter 4 summarizes the key findings of the study.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

English articles, EFL learners, article errors, interlingual errors, intralingual errors, contrastive analysis, error analysis, Arabic article system, language transfer, first language influence, acquisition of English articles, Surface Structure Taxonomy (SST).

• College: Ibn Tofail University (Faculty of Arts and Humanities)
• Grade: 18/20
• Author: Abdellah Kourkouz (Author)
• Publication Year: 2019
• Pages: 27
• Catalog Number: V1449595
• ISBN (PDF): 9783963559532
• ISBN (Book): 9783963559549
• Language: English
• Tags: Errors , English articles, EFL students, linguistics , Articles , Mistakes