Some grammatical and lexical errors in the English essays of students of A.M.E. Zion girls’ Senior High School, Winneba

Abstract

This study sought to analyse the grammatical and lexical errors in the essays of 60 purposefully selected Form 2 students of A. M. E. Zion Girls’ Senior High School in Winneba. The study identified grammatical and lexical errors committed in the English essays of the students and categorised the errors with a view to gathering perspectives on how the errors could be minimised. Two English language teachers and five students out of the 60 sampled were interviewed on their perspectives on the causes of the errors and ways to minimise them. Data was gathered through qualitative content analysis (QCA) with the help of Corder’s Error Analysis Model for thematic analysis. Findings from the data revealed that students commit grammatical and lexical errors such as agreement errors, article errors, vocabulary and expression errors and spelling errors among others. The errors were noted to have been committed as a result of both intralingual and interlingual interferences. The data also revealed that students’ lack of adequate knowledge on the rules of the English language (L2), mainly contributed to the errors they commit. The perspectives of the participants indicated that the causes of errors were as a result of students’ disinterest in the learning of the target language; students’ inadequate knowledge on the rules of L2; influence of students’ first language (L1) on their target language (L2) and inappropriate teaching strategies used by most English language teachers. The study recommends that error analysis studies, which involves identification of errors and their sources, as well as their treatment, should be an integral part of the training of English language teachers, such that, the knowledge acquired could be beneficial to their students.