Error-analysis Based Second Language Teaching Strategies

This study examines errors in 60 essays written by 60 students. The participants are class three students who are studying at a secondary school in Owerri North; 27 male and 33 female. They have experienced approximately the same number of years of education through primary and secondary education in Imo State. All of the participants come from non-English speaking background and hardly communicate in English outside the school. The instrument used for this study was participants’ written essays and Marked by some English teachers of the school. All of the errors in the essays were identified and classified into various categorizations. The results of the study show that six most common errors committed by the participants were singular/plural form, verb tense, word choice, preposition, subject-verb agreement and word order. These aspects of writing in English pose the most difficult problems to participants. This study has shed light on the manner in which students internalize the rules of the target language, which is English. Such an insight into language  learning problems is useful to teachers because it provides information on the common trouble-spots in language learning which can be used in the preparation of effective teaching materials.