AN ERROR ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS’ GRAMMAR IN WRITING (A Mix Method at Darul Ulum, A Private Islamic Boarding Senior High School in Lhokseumawe)
Helmiyadi STKIP Bumi Persada Email: [email protected]
Abstract The aim of the research is to find out the grammar errors which are commonly made by the students of Darul Ulum Islamic Boarding Senior High School in their writing and to find out the causes of grammar errors which are commonly made by the students of Darul Ulum Islamic Boarding Senior High School in their writing. This research uses a qualitative and quantitative approach and its type is a mix study. The population is the total object of the research. In this research, the population was all the students of the first year students of MAS Darul Ulum in academic year 2015/2016, they are 120 students and divided into 56 male students and 64 female students. Result of the research from test most of the first year students of MAS Darul Ulum Lhokseumawe made many errors in grammatical aspects in writing, a high percentage of errors was found in one out of three categories. The highest error category was tense errors. They occurred 88 errors, while article is 19 time of errors and sentence 10 of errors. Total of all errors found in these three categories are 117 errors occurring in whole categories. Moreover, the students felt difficult in getting ideas to begin free writing. The causes of errors were made by the students because of lack of interactive facilities is one of the problems to develop interactive classroom activities. The errors made by students were influenced by their mother tongue, and were also caused by the difficulties of the students in learning the second language.
Keywords: Error Analysis, Grammar, Writing
INTRODUCTION universities includes English as one of the It has been known that language is a obligatory subjects in their curriculum. In means of communication to convey our this context, students are supposed to be ideas, opinions, and feelings. This indicates able to apply English to interact and to use that language has an important role in many it to get more knowledge as much as parts in human life which is particularly possible since the world of knowledge is realized in communication activities. commonly written and spoken in English. According to Lazaraton (2001:19), This indicates that mastering English is a knowing the language well is indicated by must for students to actively engage in their abilities to speak the language because international relationships and to gain more speech is the most means of human knowledge about the world. communication. One of important aspects in In the context of language teaching, language teaching is grammar because it English as a foreign language for helps students to combine words to be a Indonesian students have become a good sentence or paragraph. However, compulsory subject in the school students need to increase the knowledge curriculum. Every level of education about grammatical concepts before starting starting from kindergartens up to learning any skills in English. Regarding
Getsempena English Education Journal (GEEJ) Vol.5 No.2 November 2018 I 65 this, Made (2000: 20) states that whether not understand about the grammar so that students are conscious or not they will deal they cannot analyze sentences correctly. with grammar orally or written. It means Rodney (2002: 1) states the that grammar has an important role in description of a language comprises three language. This statement is in line with major components: phonology, grammar Chomsky et al. (1965: 94) who states that and lexicon. The phonology describes the grammar is one aspect necessary to be sound system: consonants, vowels, stress, mastered by learners to enable themselves intonation, and so on. The two most basic to use the target language. units grammar are the word and the In teaching grammar the teachers sentence: one subcomponent of grammar should have interesting ways to prevent called morphology, deals with the form of students from getting bored. According to words, while the other called syntax, deals Sudjana (2004:47), teaching grammar by with the way words are combined to form asking students to remember the pattern of sentences. The lexicon-or dictionary, to use grammar generally is not the good point to a more familiar term- list the vocabulary help the students to develop their language items, mainly words and idioms (such as competences. Therefore teachers should red herring, give up, and so on), specifying find out the appropriate teaching aids to how they are pronounced, how they be help students in mastering grammar have grammatically, and what they mean. without making them feel suppressed. This research focused on subcomponent of Nunan (1995: 39) believes that in order to grammar called morphology because the make grammar lesson effective and researcher only focuses with the form of interesting, teachers should develop some word or word structure. techniques in the classroom. Grammar was integrated in other Many students found some four skills, in this research the researcher difficulties while learning a foreign wants to analyze the students‟ errors in language, especially grammar, Nunan writing skill. Based on the curriculum, it (1995: 117) states that one of the obstacles has been mentioned that the first level that the students face in learning English is students of senior high school was required grammar lesson because it is difficult and to be able to understand and express boring. Besides the other reasons why meaning in short functional text and simple students have difficulties in learning written monologue in forms of descriptive grammar are students learn more slowly in their daily life context. and forget things quickly, get bored easily, It is true that grammar is not only may not be motivated to learn if they are aspect that the teacher focuses on when not interested (Ellis, 1997:27). grading students‟ writing, but basic They usually make mistakes in grammar is the most important thing to grammar. Grammar is one of English check before other aspects such as diction components that play an important role to or relation between paragraphs. Teachers‟ avoid misunderstanding in communication. feedback on students‟ grammatical and In senior high school, the students are lexical errors resulted in a significant usually confused to write correct grammar improvement in both accuracy and fluency although they can speak English. They do in succeeding writing of the same type over the same semester (Chandler, 2003: 113).
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In order to make students‟ grammar in teaching- learning process. Based on the exercise better than the previous one the preliminary observation result the researcher should remind them researcher can identify that the students got simultaneously about the mistakes they some difficulties in constructing the have made and tell them how to avoid their sentences in a good grammar. Firstly, the mistakes in order to make the next writing students cannot differentiate the verbs that better than before, nevertheless, the result is should be added “s” and the verbs that not always satisfied. should not be added “s” in simple present Based on the preliminary tense sentences. Observation in May 2013, the researcher found that the students at MAS Darul Ulum Examples: Lhokseumawe are so hard to master writing My mother cook every morning (wrong) so that they got the lower scores. Many My mother cooks every morning (right) students got the scores under 70 the criteria of success (KKM) which has been From these examples the students do not determined by the school, 70 % to 80 % the add “s” after “cook”. students got the score under 70, and only Secondly, the students cannot use 20% to 30% students got the score up to 70, “to be” correctly, they often used “to be” this information based on the teacher after subject in verbal sentences in simple explanation. Their abilities in present tense, and they are difficult to understanding and mastering writing were differentiate “to be” that should be used low, and in fact the teachers when teach the after subject in nominal sentences in simple material to the students they do not care present tense. about these problems, they do not try to overcome these problems. The researcher Examples: tries to find out the causes from this I am go to school everyday (wrong) problem, what the problems are faced by I go to school everyday (right) the students when they learn writing. Rina and Winda is the students (wrong) It is a serious problem and impact to Rina and Winda are the students (right) the student‟s achievement, especially in English subject and also gives a bad effect Based on the examples above, the students to school development, in this private are still confused in using the suitable “to boarding school all of the students be”. communicate in English language in their Thirdly, the students cannot daily life, they always speak in English but differentiate when to use do or does in in fact their grammar scores especially in interrogative sentences in simple present writing skill were low. Based on this tense. reason, the researcher interested to conduct a case study to find out the causes and to Examples: analyze their grammar errors in writing. In Do Rina buy a new dress? (wrong) conclusion, understanding the grammar is Does Rina buy a new dress? (right) very important to have a good score in students‟ grammar mastery that is relevant Lastly, the students cannot identify to the students‟ need in order to be success the past verb when they make a sentence in
Getsempena English Education Journal (GEEJ) Vol.5 No.2 November 2018 I 67 simple past tense, and they also cannot above. The sample of this research selected differentiate “to be” which are used in by using random sampling technique, it is simple past tense. by using lottery. All of students‟ name was written in a sheet of paper, and the Examples: researcher take twenty of them as the We study in the classroom yesterday sample in this study. In this study, only 20 (wrong) students and one English teacher involved We studied in the classroom yesterday as the sample. (right) In this research, the researcher use We was junior high school students last two kinds of instruments, they are test and year (wrong) interview guide. We were junior high school students last 1. Test year (right) The instrument in this study was a test, the test constituted the instruction Based on the example above, the which the researcher gave to the students students got difficulties in identifying the through their English teacher. The students past verb, and they cannot identify “to be” were instructed to write a descriptive essay should be used after subject “we”. or composition freely, then the students To know the difficulties faced by could chose any topic as far as it was the students at MAS Darul Ulum narrative writing. Lhokseumawe in mastering grammar in 2. Interview writing, the researcher needs to search Interview guide is the questions are these problems more deeply in that school going to be asked to the students and by doing research. Finally, the purposes teachers to get the data about the student‟s from this research are (1) to find out the problems in mastering grammar in writing, grammatical errors are commonly made by interview guide divided into two forms, the students of Darul Ulum Islamic they are interview guide for English Boarding Senior High School in their teachers and interview guide for English writing and (2) to find out the causes these Students. errors for the students of Darul Ulum Sugiono (2008:180) states that Islamic Boarding Senior High School in interview is a communication form their writing. between two persons, involving a person who wants to get information from another METHOD one by asking some question based on This research used a qualitative and particular objective. Sugiono (2008:182) quantitative approach and its type is a mix also states that interview can be study. The population is the total object of characterized into three kinds of interviews the research. In this research, the namely, structured interview, semi- population is all the students of the first structured interview and unstructured year students of MAS Darul Ulum in interview, but in this research the academic year 2015/2016, they are 120 researcher used structured interview which students and divided into 56 male students the researcher provided some written and 64 female students. The sample of this questions for teachers and students and research was taken from the population each respondent will be asked the same
Getsempena English Education Journal (GEEJ) Vol.5 No.2 November 2018 I 68 question, because the researcher wants to category was tense errors. They occurred get detail information. 88 of errors, while article 19 of errors and sentence 10 of errors. Total of all errors RESULT AND DISCUSSION found in these three categories are 117 Result errors occur in whole categories. As mentioned in Chapter one, this Almost all students made errors in study was only focused on the grammatical using past tense, especially in the changing errors are commonly made by the students of the verb to past form for activities done in writing. The grammatical errors are in the past. The students tend to use the classified based on the scope of the simple verb form instead of past tense verb research. Therefore, it was found from the while they write about their writing. This is students‟ writing that they made many called as misinformation errors. The grammatical errors when they were asked students actually wrote correctly for what to write. Here is the chart of the errors is they wanted to tell but they made these commonly made by the students: errors grammatically in meaning. In this case, Norrish (1983) says that these errors might occur because of interference by students‟ first language and translation from the first language. Moreover, the errors are also characterized by the omission both affirmative and negative sentences. The highest type of errors made in
Chart 1. Grammatical Errors this category was past tense. The errors in this category were related to the use of past The chart shows the frequency of verb form (main verb and auxiliary), the occurrences of three grammatical errors incorrect use of infinitive, and use of categories found in the students‟ writing. pronoun. These errors commonly appear They are tense errors, article errors and when the students did not put any verbs of sentence errors. A high percentage of errors auxiliaries or action verb in sentences. The were found in one out of three categories. most frequent errors made when the The highest error category was tense errors. students attempt to write nominal They occurred 88 of errors, while article 19 sentences, they omitted auxiliary. They of errors and sentence 10 of errors. Total of failed to put auxiliary „was’ in their all errors found in these three categories are sentences. It is also found in the writing the 117 errors occur in whole categories. omission of „ed’ in using regular verb. In other words, the errors of omission Discussion occurred as the students did not understand The frequency of the occurrences of the use of auxiliary and morpheme both in three grammatical errors categories found nominal and verbal sentences. in the students‟ writing. They are tense There are 33 cases occurring in the errors, article errors and sentence errors. A students‟ writing in the category of simple high percentage of errors were found in one present tense, such as when the students put out of three categories. The highest error the past form instead of simple form, and
Getsempena English Education Journal (GEEJ) Vol.5 No.2 November 2018 I 69 when the verb is added with third singular communicative approach. The errors were inflection (-s). made by the students because of lack of The errors on the use of article both sense of vocabulary use so they cannot definite and indefinite articles were also develop their writing as effectively as found in the students‟ writing. There were 9 possible. errors dealing with definite article and 10 Beside that, lack of interactive errors with indefinite article. There were 5 facilities is one of the problems to develop errors related to the incorrect use of word interactive classroom activities. In addition, order. There is a problem of the position of decision maker should have a real action to adjective as modifier noun. These errors are support toward the improvement of English identified easily when the students put acquisition, especially in writing mastery. something which not appears. Finally, the teachers hardly focused the According to Gustian (2012), these lesson plan development on writing. In errors can be seen when they put auxiliary other words, the teacher might have a great „was’ and „were’ in verbal sentences. From concern on developing students‟ the students writing the writer found that vocabulary mastery. So they have a very the students made this very often. For limited time to focus deeply on students‟ example, the students attempt to use two writing. Therefore, the errors were still tense markers at the same time in one committed by students when they produce sentence since they have not mastered the writing. These occur because the students language yet as in „I was sent you’. We do not know what the correct answer is, simply know that there should not be put an and thus it cannot be self correction. auxiliary in the sentences. In this study, As mentioned previously, the errors errors of addition are commonly found in made by students were influenced by their the use of article. mother tongue, and were also caused by the The students failed to put the difficulties of the students in learning the correct position of the article in sentences. second language. The students have not For example, they wrote „we go to the mastered the rules of structure of English Suzuya in the Monday‟. This condition for the reason. Based on this reasoning, it caused by lack of understanding about the can be concluded that many of the students correct use of the article in the sentences made errors because of interlingual and they had written. Therefore, it would be intralingual transfer. Ellis (1997) states that necessary for the students to learn more not some errors seem to be universal, reflecting only about the correct use of articles but learners attempts to make the task of also the correct use of verb tense. learning and using the target language The second research question is simpler. about the causes of errors in learning The researcher also interviewed the writing, based on the result of interview students to know how they felt in the with the teacher, the researcher concluded process of teaching and learning writing, that the teacher is communicative enough especially when they were instructed to in teaching writing for students. He tried to write a composition. When the researcher motivate his students to love English as an questioned about that, their responses are international language. The method used in little bit different. Nevertheless, the average his teachings mostly direct method and answers were that the like English, but not
Getsempena English Education Journal (GEEJ) Vol.5 No.2 November 2018 I 70 like writing very much. According to them, The most common errors made by writing is difficult not only because their the first year students for grammatical lack of knowledge about constructing errors are in tense errors category. It is sentences, but also because of their found frequently in students‟ writing. difficulties of collecting ideas in order to Meanwhile, other errors are also found put it in a composition. There are some since they have not understood the use of persons though, who like to write and they verb form correctly. Therefore, the expressed that in their composition, researcher concluded that the students have although the sentences still contained an a serious problem in verb tense, especially error. If learners perceive writing tasks to in changing the verb form. be useless, they may approach them in a The causes of errors were made by careless manner. the students because lack of interactive The errors produced by the students facilities is one of the problems to develop could be indicated that the students attempt interactive classroom activities. The errors to try to activate their linguistics made by students were influenced by their competence communicatively like the use mother tongue, and were also caused by the of verb, articles, modality, negatives, etc in difficulties of the students in learning the producing an utterance in writing. This second language. The students have not condition is very essential for second mastered the rules of structure of English language learners because students wanted for the reason. Based on this reasoning, it to develop their communicative can be concluded that many of the students competence to others, but they might still made errors because of interlingual and have difficulties to perceive the rules of intralingual transfer. grammar while they write something. With regard to the result of the Whereas this problem could be solved if study there are some suggestions that the they just do a lot of practices and learning researcher intends to offer, as follows: like using the rules of grammar in To the students, they should learn communicating their ideas as they are the more the changing of the verb in past tense heart of language to produce semantics both in regular and irregular. They should function as Block (2003) claims that the give more concern about the use of students have already had linguistics auxiliary verbs both in nominal and verbal competence in their mind or Universal sentences. Therefore, the students need to Grammar. give more attention in English as one of National Examination (UN) subjects. CONCLUSION To the teachers, they understood the Based on the data, a high source of the errors so that they could percentage of errors was found in one out provide appropriate remedy, which will of three categories. The highest error resolve the learners‟ problems and allowed category was tense errors. They occurred them to discover the relevant rules. Thus, 88 of errors, while article 19 of errors and the source of errors is an important clue for sentence 10 of errors. Total of all errors the teacher to decide on the sort of found in these three categories are 117 treatment. The teacher should know serious errors occur in whole categories. and minor errors. Distinguishing between serious and minor errors may be a good
Getsempena English Education Journal (GEEJ) Vol.5 No.2 November 2018 I 71 guide in choosing what to correct and can Grammar, Cambridge: Cambridge be items when grading the students. University Press. The teacher should prioritize what Corder, S. P. (1981). Error Analysis and Interlanguage. Oxford: Oxford he/she is correcting and grading, the University Press. teacher did not force only on grammar ______(1982). Introduction because students started to think that Applied Linguistics. Middlesex: Penguin. grammar is only thing that counted in writing. Lower level learners particularly Ellis, R. (1997). Understanding Second will have trouble with finding the Language Acquisition. Oxford: appropriate word and they needed more Oxford University Press. Flower, L (1985). Problem Solving modeling. The teacher had better provide Strategies for Writing. London: them correct vocabulary choice, most of the Publisher Mellon University. time word choice is idiomatic or Gustian, M.S. (2012). “Error Analysis on conventionally agreed upon and it is the Use of Simple Past Tense among difficult for the learners to come up with the Second Year Students of SMP the correct or appropriate word even if they Inshafuddin Banda Aceh (A consult the dictionary. Descriptive Study at the Second Year Students of SMP Insyafuddin Banda
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