Lexico-grammatical analysis Of english intermediate learner’s errors in written production at the department of linguistics and languages at mayor de san andres university in la paz-bolivia

Abstract

Learning a second language requires a conscious effort as it is a highly cognitive process, especially when learners want to express their ideas and thoughts by writing in the target language. Consequently, learners make different kind of errors that have to do with misconstructions of English language grammar structures, word formation, and lexis when learning and using the language. As a result, these errors produce misunderstanding and misinterpretation when decoding the message. Thus, this research is aimed at analyzing errors that English intermediate learners of the Department of linguistics and languages (UMSA) make in written production. Therefore, this research is developed into four essential chapters. Chapter one focuses on the background of the problem that has been stated above, as well as the statement of the problem, general and specific objectives, justification and hypotheses formulation. Next, chapter two explains different theories about second language acquisition and theoretical foundations that help us to understand the subject matter as well as to support this research theoretically. Afterward, chapter three describes the type of study, population, instrument design, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and analysis of the results. In this perspective, this is a descriptive study since we make a description and categorization of grammatical and lexical errors, and subsequently an explanation of these errors as we relate them to particular aspects of second language acquisition such as interlingual and intralingual interference. It is also worth mentioning that with regard to data gathering instrument we applied open production writing tasks. Finally, chapter four arrives at conclusions of the research and provides some framework regarding analysis and correction of learners errors. On the whole, it is stated that Linguistics and Languages Department learner’s errors are predominantly grammatical over lexical ones. At this point, it is crucial to assert that the main source for grammatical errors made by English intermediate learners is interlingual interference. In this connection, it is also relevant to claim that preposition and article errors are the most frequent in learners’ written production. To conclude, another important conclusion is that learners’ mother tongue, Spanish, interferes more in grammar learning of English language than in lexis.