Pixel International ConferencesPixel International ConferencesErrors in writing produced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners of different mother tongues have been widely analysed (e.g. [1], [2], [3], [4]). Most studies have considered and categorised different types of writing errors and several facets within the same area of analysis (morphology, syntax, lexicon, etc.). Fewer studies (e.g. [5], [6]), however, have specifically investigated errors in the form and use of verbs, which are quite frequent in the written production of EFL learners [7]. The present paper deals with verb-related errors, with a main focus on tense and aspect. Given their own semantics and their specific function, these grammatical categories are part and parcel of the communicative competence of EFL learners, as their misuse may easily lead to misunderstandings. The paper is based on the analysis of exam essays written by Italian students on a Primary Education Master’s degree, which provides qualification for the teaching of English in Primary School. The high frequency of verb-related errors detected in the corpus, especially those concerning verb tense and aspect, suggests that despite the huge amount of time commonly devoted to the teaching of grammar to Italian EFL learners, the form and use of English verbs still seem to be problematic, and appears to indicate the need for a revision of approaches to the teaching of these grammatical features.
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Keywords |
EFL writing; writing errors; tense and aspect; English verbs; verb-related error analysis |
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References |
[1] Chuang, Fei-Yu and Hilary Nesi (2006). “An Analysis of Formal Errors in a Corpus of L2 English Produced by Chinese Students”. Corpora 1 (2), 251-271. [2] Chan, Alice Y.W. (2010). “Toward a Taxonomy of Written Errors: Investigation into the Written Errors of Hong Kong Cantonese ESL Learners”. TESOL Quarterly, 44(2), 295-319. [3] Karim, Abdul; Mohamed, Abdul R.; Ismail, Shaik A. M. M.; Shahed, Faheem H.; Rahman, Mohammad M. and Haque M. Hamidul (2018). “Error Analysis in EFL Writing Classroom”. International Journal of English Linguistics, 8(4), 122-138. [4] Chaudhary, Anjum and Al Zahrani, Sahar (2020). “Error Analysis in the Written Compositions of EFL Students: A Classroom Study”. International Journal of English Linguistics, 10(2), 357-366. [5] Gloria Garrido, Carmen and Rosado Romero, Cristina (2012). “Errors in the use of English tenses”. Íkala, revista de lenguaje y cultura, 17(3), 285-296. [6] Purba, Anita; Pasaribu, Arsen N.; Elfrida, Rotua and Pasaribu. Tiara K. (2023). “Errors in Using English Verbs by EFL Students: Tenses and Aspects Analyses”. SCOPE: Journal of English Language Teaching, 7(2), 137-142. [7] Btoosh, M.A. (2019). “Tense and Aspect in L1 and L2 Academic Writing: A Corpus-Based Approach”. Journal of Language and Education, 5 (2), 26-47. |
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