UNIVERSITITEKNOLOGI MARA

AN ERROR ANALYSIS OF VERBS USED BY BIDAYUH ESL STUDENTS

AHDIS AK JAMUT

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirementsfor the degree of

Master of Education

Faculty of Education

April 2008

ABSTRACT

This study reveals the verb errors made by Form 4 and 5 Science Bidayuh students inBau district. Two instruments; argumentative essays and Learner Profile were utilized toidentify the verb errors committed by the students and their relationship to the learners'variables such as gender differences, place of origin, English tuition attended and thelanguages spoken. The study has collected 34510 words of learners writing in the form ofargumentative essays with the topic "Life today is better than ten years ago". The studyfollows the methodological principles laid down by Corder (1974). The data wasanalysed using a computerized error-tagging programme known as the VCL Error Editor(Dagneaux: et al, 1996). The programme comprised a wide range of error tags insertedmanually, and allowed the researcher to identify and classify the errors produced by thestudents in their essays. Next, the tagged texts were processed by the WordSmith ToolsConcordance Programme, to obtain error frequencies arranged by gender and errorcategory. The errors were then cross-tabulated and correlated using SPSS to investigatesignificant relationships between background variables and the verb errors committed. Anumber of observations were made concerning the causes of errors produced by thestudents. The findings of the study reveal that verb tense errors (tagged GVn were themost frequent errors made in the corpus samples. The study also indicates no significantrelationship between the learners' variables with the type of verb errors made by thestudents. The major causes of errors are over-generalization, incomplete application ofrule, and L1 interference. The implications of the study include the needs for teachers toprovide constructive feedback with regard to the erroneous language items made by thestudents to prevent fossilization. Teachers should adopt and adapt new methods ofteaching and utilize materials which maximize the strengths and minimize theweaknesses of their ESL learners. An explicit teaching of basic grammar to the studentsis essential so as to raise consciousness to the correct and incorrect forms of the language.Suggestions for further research include carrying out similar research over a long periodof time, an experimental research on the explicit teaching of grammar in the classroom, astudy on the influence of L1 inference on ESL learners, the effect of multilingualism onESL learners and a comparative study of errors made by ESL learners from differentracial backgrounds.

ii

Kajian ini dijalankan untuk mengkaji kesalahan kata keija bahasa Inggeris yang dilakukan oleh pelajar Bidayuh yang menuntut dalam jurusan Sains di daerah Bau, Sarawak. Dua instrumen; karangan berbentuk perbahasan dan Profil Pelajar digunakan untuk mengumpul kesalahan kata keija dan kaitannya dengan pembolehubah pelajar seperti jantina, tempat tinggal, kelas tuisyen Bahasa Inggeris yang dihadiri dan bahasa yang dipertuturkan. Kajian ini beijaya mengumpul 34510 patah perkataan daripada 100 esei argumentatif beijudul “Kehidupan hari ini lebih baik daripada sepuluh tahun yang lepas”. Kajian ini dijalankan mengikut kaedah yang digunakan oleh Corder (1974). Data yang diperolehi dianalisa menggunakan program UCL Error Editor (Granger et. al, 1996). Program ini mengandungi tag kesalahan bahasa yang dilakukan secara manual dan membolehkan penyelidik mengenalpasti dan mengklasifikasikan kesalahan tersebut. Seterusnya, kesalahan bahasa (kata keija) tersebut dikira menggunakan Worsdmith Tools Concordance Programme bagi memperolehi frekuensi kesalahan kata keija yang disusun berdasarkan jantina pelajar. Selepas itu, kesalahan bahasa (kata keija) tersebut di'cross- tabulated’ dan dikolerasikan menggunakan program SPSS untuk mengkaji kaitan pembolehubah dengan kesalahan yang dilakukan. Pemerhatian juga dilakukan untuk mengenalpasti punca kesalahan tersebut. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa kesalahan ‘verb tense’ merupakan kesalahan yang paling kerap dilakukan oleh pelajar Bidayuh yang dikaji. Kajian ini juga membuktikan bahawa tiada perkaitan yang kukuh di antara kesalahan bahasa yang dilakukan dengan pembolehubahan yang dikaji. Ini bermakna perbezaan jantina, tempat tinggal, kelas tuSyen bahasa Inggeris dan bahasa yang dipertuturkan tidak mempengaruhi kesalahan kata keija yang dilakukan. Generalisasi melampau, applikasi hukum bahasa yang tidak lengkap dan pengaruh bahasa pertama dikenalpasti sebagai punca berlakunya kesalahan kata keija yang dilakukan. Implikasi kajian terhadap guru bahasa Inggeris termasuklah perlunya mereka memberi maklumbalas yang membina kepada pelajar berkenaan kesalahan kata keija yang dilakukan untuk mengelakkan mereka terns melakukan kesalahan tersebut. Guru juga perlu mengadaptasikan kaedah pengajaran dan penggunaan bahan pengajaran dan pembelajaran yang lebih efektif untuk meminimumkan kesalahan kata keija di kalangan pelajar. Pengajaran hukum bahasa secara eksplisit adalah mustahak untuk menyedarkan pelajar tentang kesalahan bahasa yang dilakukan. Bahagian terakhir kajian ini mencadangkan kajian lanjut yang perlu dilakukan oleh para pengkaji bahasa Inggeris. Ini termasuklah kajian berkenaan keberkesanan pengajaran hukum bahasa secara eksplisit, pengaruh bahasa pertama (Bahasa Malaysia) dalam pembelajaran bahasa Inggeris, kesan penggunaan pelbagai bahasa dalam pertuturan hari an terhadap pembelajaran bahasa Inggeris di kalangan pelajar dan juga kajian perbandingan di antara kesalahan bahasa yang dilakukan oleh pelajar berlainan kaum di Malaysia,

ABSTRAK

Candidate’s Declaration

I declare that the work in this thesis was carried out in accordance with the regulations of

Universiti Teknologi MARA. It is original and is the result of my own work, unless otherwise indicated or acknowledged as reference work. This topic has not been

submitted to any other academic institution for any other degree or qualification.

In the event that my thesis be found to violate the conditions mentioned above, I

voluntarily waive the right of conferment of my degree and agree be subjected to the

disciplinary rules and regulations of Universiti Teknologi MARA.

Name of Candidate

Candidate’s ID No. Programme Faculty Thesis Title

Ahdis ak Jamut

670923-13-5433ED720 Master of Education (TESL)Faculty of EducationAn Error Analysis of Verbs used by Bidayuh ESL students.

Signature of Candidate Date 30th April 2008

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Firstly, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to Universiti Teknologi Mara,

Kota Samarahan Branch for giving me a place in the Education faculty to enable me to

pursue my Advanced Course in TESL.

My sincere thanks also goes to the principal of SMK Bau, Bau, Mr. Mohd Ilahi bin

Junaidi for giving me the permission and undivided support to conduct this study and for

allowing the students to participate in it.

I would also like to record my eternal gratitude to my supervisor Professor Madya Dr.

Simon Botley @ Faizal Hakim bin Abdullah and other UiTM lecturers for their unfailing efforts and assistance from time to time to make this study possible.

A word of gratitude to the English language teachers particularly Mr. Enid Dundang,

Mdm. Caroline Kayad, and Miss Teriha Ng’dum for helping me in the data collection.

Last but not least, I would like to convey my special thanks and appreciation to all the

students who contributed their essays in this study. They are as follow, in alphabetical

order:

Male students:Adwin Boni, Alexis Jali, Amsar Wendy, Andrew Olla Bill, Avemortoney, Baldwin Limmi, Boniface Nyalau, Brownson, Chalton Andrew, Clarence Bijug, Claudius Diego, Cornelius Zagorza Cotter, Denkley Jebin, Elvin Melconti, Evan Dominic, Evan, Felix Becker Boni, Firdaus Merah, Garrisen Leo, Henry Horslie, Henry Stanley, James Mackester, Jimmy Button, John Bestly, John Erwin Wani, John Vianney, Joseph Patrick, Kamarul, Lisif Monday, Lyon Mackenzie, Macliston Jim, Marcelinus Korek, Mathew Bright, Michaelini Bidol, Nasli Daud, Neil Vanilli Migi, Norman Springfield, Patrick Wary, Paul Bently Nair, Paul Moran, Paul Simon Roger, Peter Liboh, Petrus Akuang, Petrus Yong, Ricky Danielson Naing, Simon Vigrous Tisen, Spancer Tyson, Stanley Levinson, Wilson Michael and Zailan William Babai.