Error analysis in writing_ a case study in Bawku senior high school

Abstract

Having students to produce an organized, neat and error-free piece of writing has always been the lifelong dream and the ambition of all English teachers. The purpose of this study is to explore the common types of writing errors made by Bawku SHS students in their English essay writing. The study adopted qualitative research design with a population of one hundred and twenty (120) students. The study was conducted in all the six departments of Bawku SHS. The findings were that students committed twelve categories of error with the total errors stood at two thousand three hundred and sixty (2360). Poor teaching, the complexity of the English language, structural difference between learners’ native language and English language, and learner poor reading culture to be the cause of errors learners of English as a second language commit. The recommendations were that teachers should constantly update their knowledge on the methodology and content of the English language, and students must always read to improve their knowledge in the English language.