Sarkawt Muhammad Qadir
Department of English Language, College of Education, University of Raparin
Hanife Bensen Bostanci
School of English Preparatory and Foreign Languages, World Peace University
Writing is an intricate process in the first language and its intricacy increases when writing in the targeted language. Although Kurdish students of English study English writing at most levels of their education in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), it has been observed that they commit serious errors even in the basics of writing. These errors may influence their writing in English and their overall English language proficiency level. Nevertheless, meticulous research in the arena of error analysis is scanty in the KRI context compared to the body of research conducted in this area in the Arab world. This study was undertaken to analyze the errors committed by English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) undergraduate students to recognize the most and the least prevalent errors committed by students and present and explain some possible causes and sources of those errors. The study investigated errors in a collection of 57 argumentative essays. Four categories of errors were taken into consideration, namely, grammatical, lexical, spelling, and punctuation as well as their subcategories. Frequencies and percentages of errors were first recognized, and then the common subcategories of each of the errors were tabulated, explained, and described with examples from the corpus. The reported results showed that the overall frequency and percentage of the errors were high and grammatical errors were the most common. Lexical errors were found to be the least common errors in students' written productions. Additionally, the most prevalent subcategories of the errors were presented and interpreted. The study concluded that the major causes of written errors in the KRI context were both interlingual and intralingual errors.
Abdullah KN (2015). An Investigation of Students’ Use of the Mechanics of Writing in English in Northern Iraq [Master’s thesis]. Nicosia: Near East University.
Abdullah KN (2020). Kurdish students’ writing problems on the mechanics of English as a foreign language. International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews 7(2): 698-712. doi: 10.2139/ssrn.3599734
Abushihab I, El-Omari AH, Tobat M (2011). An analysis of written grammatical errors of Arab learners of English as a foreign language at Alzaytoonah Private University of Jordan. European Journal of Social Sciences 20(4): 543-552.
Ahmed I (2017). Different types of spelling errors made by Kurdish EFL learners and their potential causes. International Journal of Kurdish Studies 3(2): 93-110. doi: 10.21600/ijoks.334146
Ahmed PH (2019). Major writing challenges experienced by EFL learners in Soran University. Journal of University of Human Development 5(3): 120-126. doi: 10.21928/juhd.v5n3y2019.pp120-126
Al Jayousi MT (2011). Spelling Errors of Arab Students: Types, Causes, and Teachers’ Responses [Master’s Thesis]. UAE: University of Sharjah.
Almasi E, Tabrizi ARN (2016). The effects of direct vs. indirect corrective feedback on Iranian EFL learners’ writing accuracy. Journal of Applied Linguistics and Language Research 3(1): 74-85.
Al-Shujairi YBJ, Tan H (2017). Grammar errors in the writing of Iraqi English language learners. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies 5(4): 122-130. doi: 10.7575/aiac.ijels.v.5n.4p.122
Ander S, Yıldırım Ö (2010). Lexical errors in elementary level EFL learners’ compositions. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 2: 5299-5303. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.8 64
Astuti D, Darmahusni D, Sumarni S, Suseno M (2023). The use of Grammarly in the academic writing of undergraduate students: Advantages, weaknesses, and challenges (systematic review). English Language and Literature International Conference (ELLiC) Proceedings 6: 593-607.
Awad A (2013). The most common punctuation errors made by the English and the TEFL majors at An-Najah National University. An-Najah University Journal 26(1): 211-233.
Aziz PZ, Ahmed IA, Salim SK (2021). Analyzing writing errors of Kurdish EFL students. Journal of University of Garmian 8(2): 293-307. doi: 10.24271/garmian.21080281
Basher A, Elmenfi F, Gaibani A (2019). An error analysis of writing skills among English foreign language learners at University Utara Malaysia. In: Hidri S (editor). English Language Teaching Research in the Middle East and North Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Bensen Bostancı H (2019). Analysis and classification of frequent writing errors of Turkish Cypriot university students. Revista Inclusiones 6: 224-237.
Bensen Bostancı H, Çavuşoğlu Ç (2018). Pen-and-paper or online? An academic writing course to teacher-trainees. Cogent Education 5(1): 1482606. doi: 10.1080/2331186X.2018.1482606
Bensen Bostancı H, Şengül F (2018). Who is the most effective agent when giving indirect written corrective feedback? EJER 73-92.
Brown HD (2014). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, 6th ed. Prentice Hall Inc.
Bussmann H (2006). Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics. Routledge.
Chaqmaqchee Z (2015). Teaching Writing Process at Salahaddin University in Northern Iraq. Lambert Academic Publishing.
Cole J, Feng J (2015). Effective strategies for improving writing skills of elementary English language learners. In: Proceedings of the Chinese American Educational Research and Development Association Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.
Corder SP (1967). The significance of learners’ errors. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 4: 161-170.
Corder SP (1974). The significance of learner’s errors. In: Schumann JH, Stenson N (editors). New Frontiers in Second Language Learning. Massachusetts: Newbury House Publishers. pp. 90-99.
Corder SP (1982). Error Analysis and Interlanguage. Oxford University Press.
Darus S, Ching KH (2009). Common errors in written English essays of form one Chinese students: A case study. European Journal of Social Sciences 10: 242-253.
Doro K, Pietila P (2015). Researching vocabulary in L2 writing: Methodological issues and pedagogical implications. In: Pietila P, Doro K, Pipalova R (editors). Lexical Issues in L2 Writing. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 11-24.
Ellis R (1994). Understanding Second Language Acquisition. Progress Press.
Ellis R (2008). The Study of Second Language Acquisition, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press.
Guo X (2019). Investigation into the research on doctoral writing: A synthesis of recent research (2010-2019). Forum for Linguistic Studies 1: 88-101. doi: 10.18063/fls.v1i1.1083
Hassan FR, Ghafur NK (2011). Investigating Kurdish EFL students’ errors in using English articles. Journal of Dohuk University for Humanities and Social Sciences 14(1): 34-52.
Ismail N, Elias S, Albakri IS, et al. (2010). Exploring ESL students’ apprehension level and attitude towards academic writing. The International Journal of Learning 17(6): 475-483. doi: 10.18848/1447-9494/CGP/v17i06/45609
Jackson MA (2019). Errors in Written Essays: A Case Study of Form Two Students of ST. Paul Methodist JHS, Tema [Master’s thesis]. Winneba: University of Education.
James C (2013). Errors in Language Learning and Use: Exploring Error Analysis. Longman.
Keshavarz MH (2012). Contrastive Analysis and Error Analysis. Rahnama.
Khalid HS (2020). Kurdish language, its family, and dialects. International Journal of Kurdiname 2(2): 133-146.
Khansir AA (2012). Error analysis and second language acquisition. Theory and Practice in Language Studies 2: 1027-1032. doi: 10.4304/tpls.2.5.1027-1032
Kırkgöz Y (2010). An analysis of written errors of Turkish adult learners of English. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2: 4352-4358. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.692
Krashen S (1982). Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning. Pergamon.
Lightbown PM, Spada N (2006). How Languages are Learned. Oxford University Press.
McCombes S (2023). Descriptive research | Definition, types, methods & examples. Available online: https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/descriptive-research/ (accessed on 27 September 2023).
Mahmood DK (2016). An evaluation of writing skills of EFL learners in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. International Journal of Language and Linguistics 4(1): 14-24. doi: 10.11648/j.ijll.20160401.13
Mahmood RQ, Aziz MA (2023). Effects of explicit written corrective feedback on subject-verb agreement among Kurdish EFL students. Language Teaching Research 34: 49-62. doi: 10.32038/ltrq.2023.34.04
Mahmood RQ (2021). Kurdish EFL learners’ perceptions towards written corrective feedback and its types: An investigative study. Arab World English Journal 12(4): 103-117. doi: 10.24093/awej/vol12no4.7
Maicusi T, Maicusi P, Lopez MJ (2000). The error in the second language acquisition. Encuentro. Revista de Investigación e Innovación en la Clase de Idiomas 11: 168-173.
Nuruzzaman M, Islam ABMS, Shuchi IJ (2018). An analysis of errors committed by Saudi non-English major students in the English paragraph writing: A study of comparisons. Advances in Language and Literary Studies 9(1): 31-39. doi: 10.7575/aiac.alls.v.9n.1p.31
Omar JA (2019). Kurdish EFL learners’ spelling error types and sources. Journal of University of Raparin 6(2): 111-120.
Omar FR, Barzani SHH (2022). English writing errors of Kurdish EFL undergraduates: An error analysis. International Journal of Social Sciences and Educational Studies 9(2): 256-266. doi: 10.23918/ijsses.v9i2p256
Owu-Ewie C, Williams MR (2017). Grammatical and lexical errors in students’ English composition writing: The case of three senior high schools (SHS) in the central region of Ghana. Sino-US English Teaching 14(8): 463-482. doi: 10.17265/1539-8072/2017.08.001
Qadir S (2021). The Effect of Anxiolytic Strategies on Writing Apprehension and Writing Performance [PhD thesis]. Nicosia: Near East University.
Qadir S, Bensen HB, Kurt M (2021). Writing apprehension among English as a foreign language postgraduate students. SAGE Open 11(2). doi: 10.1177/21582440211007121
Richards JC (1971). A non-contrastive approach to error analysis. ELT Journal 25: 204-219. doi: 10.1093/elt/XXV.3.204
Richards JC (1974). Error Analysis: Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition. Longman.
Richards JC, Schmidt R (2010). Dictionary of Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics. Longman.
Sulaiman MS, Mohammed HG (2019). Evaluating grammatical competence in Kurdish EFL junior students’ writings at the English department, College of Languages, University of Duhok. Journal of University of Duhok 22(2): 304-324. doi: 10.26682/hjuod.2019.22.2.16
Salehi M, Bahrami A (2018) An error analysis of journal papers written by Persian authors. Cogent Arts & Humanities 5: 1-16. doi: 10.1080/23311983.2018.1537948
Sari EMP (2016). Interlingual errors and intralingual errors found in narrative text written by EFL students in Lampung. Jurnal Penelitian Humaniora 17(2): 87-95. doi: 10.23917/humaniora.v17i2.2501
Schultz JM (2011). Foreign language writing in the era of globalization. In: Reichelt TCM (editor). Foreign Language Writing Instruction: Principles and Practices. Parlor Press. pp. 65-82.
Seitova M (2016). Error analysis of written production: The case of 6th grade students of Kazakhstani School. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 232: 287-293. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2016.10.022
Smith R (2005). Global English: Gift or curse? English Today 21(2): 56-62. doi: 10.1017/S0266078405002075
Suleiman SA, Hamza HK (2018). Exploring the errors committed by Arab and Kurd Iraqi EFL learners in writing composition. Adab Al-Rafidayn Journal 73: 139-156.
Tawfeeq HM, Abbas AM (2018). The role of written corrective feedback in improving Kurdish EFL university students’ writing. Journal of University of Human Development 4(4): 61-74. doi: 10.21928/juhd. v4n4y2018.pp61-74
Weir CJ (1988). Academic writing—Can we please all the people all the time? In: Robinson P (editor). Academic Writing—Process and Product. Modern English Publications/British Council. pp. 17-34.
Younes ZB, Albalawi FS (2015). Exploring the most common types of writing problems among English language and translation major sophomore female students at Tabuk University. Asian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 3(2): 7-26. doi: 10.4236/ojml.2015.52016
Yufrizal H (2021). An Introduction to Second Language Acquisition. Depok: Rajawali Pers.
Zeng G (2019). The cognitive-functional properties of English WH-dialogic constructions in discourse. Forum for Linguistic Studies 1: 1-13. doi: 10.18063/fls.v1i1.1080
Zohoorian Z (2023). A comparative study of solitary and teacher-led pre-task planning effect on EFL university learners’ writing performance: A case of an online platform amidst COVID-19. Forum for Linguistic Studies 5(1): 173-196. doi: 10.18063/fls.v5i1.1568
Copyright © 2023 Sarkawt Muhammad Qadir, Hanife Bensen Bostanci
This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
