Error Analysis and Interlanguage: Reflections for Indonesian Teachers and Learners

LINGUA, JURNAL BAHASA & SASTRA, VOLUME 18, NOMOR 1, DESEMBER 2017

Abstract: This paper aimed to describe the role of error analysis and interlanguage as a natural process in teaching and learning. Extensive history of English learning in Indonesia is described in the paper as it gives a view of how English has been used for decades. The terms of error and interlanguage by Corder and Selinker are also elaborated briefly. Errors occur due to two interferences: interlingual and intralingual. Clear intruments of students’ performance towards English competence, feedbacks of teachers and students in language learning engagement, and a fruitful advantage for teachers and learners for their further reseource of learning are some points that have been proposed for Indonesian teachers and learners.

Keywords: Error analysis, interlanguage, language teaching in Indonesia

Abstrak: Makalah ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan peran analisis kesalahan dan interlanguag sebagai proses alami dalam proses belajar dan mengajar. Sejarah yang panjang pembelajaran di Indonesia juga dijelaskan dalam makalah ini karena memberikan pandangan tentang bagaimana bahasa Inggris digunakan selama beberapa waktu. Ketentuan kesalahan dan antar bahasa oleh Corder dan Selinker juga diuraikan secara singkat. Kesalahan terjadi karena dua gangguan: interlingual dan intralingual. Instrumen yang jelas dari kinerja siswa terhadap kompetensi bahasa Inggris, feedback dari guru dan siswa dalam keterlibatan pembelajaran bahasa, dan beberapa keuntungan yang bermanfaat bagi guru dan peserta didik sebagai sumber belajar mereka berikutnya adalah beberapa poin yang telah ditulis untuk guru dan pelajar bahasa Inggris di Indonesia.

Kata-kata kunci : analisis kesalahan berbahasa, interlanguage, pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris di Indonesia

1) Lecturer of STKIP Muhammaidyah, Bangka Belitung 79

80 LINGUA, JURNAL BAHASA & SASTRA, VOLUME 18, NOMOR 1, DESEMBER 2017 When learners learn a second or a foreign such as: the use of “s” or “es” as the third language, they tend to make errors. Errors person singular verb marker in simple are an inevitable part of the natural process present tense sentences and utterances as in acquiring and learning a new language. well. Everyone makes errors when she or he Faisal, Mulya & Syamsul (2016) claimed constructs a new utterance of a new that the dominant errors done by junior language. However, regarding this natural students on surface strategy taxonomy were process of learning, errors cannot be seen as selection (72%) followed by omission an offense. Instead, errors aid the learners to (14.4%), and addition (10.6%). Based on be more aware of the blunders they have linguistic category taxonomy, the most made in a professional way. Corder (1981) dominant types of errors were word forms states that errors are significant to the (48.4%), followed by articles (35%), process of language learning but not nonfinite verbs (34.9%), verb tenses mistakes because mistakes have no (34.3%), plurals (33.3%), and prepositions significance to the process of language (30%). Sinaga and Sihombing (2014) learning. Ihsan (1999) asserts that errors described syntactical errors made by the should be faced and accepted positively as graduate students of English Department they are evidence of learning process. It is and Applied Linguistics of the State also claimed by Keshavarz (2012) that University of Medan in writing their theses. mistakes can be corrected by the learners if Their study found that there are four types their attentions are drawn to them, but errors of syntactical errors: Omision, Addition, cannot be self-corrected. Nevertheless, Misformation, and Misordering. Faisyal determining the learners’ errors and (2015) revealed that the students of grade mistakes engages more studies and efforts. five of KMI Islamic boarding school in Keshavartz (2012) further states that true Klaten committed more errors in syntax language learning is a process that rather than in morphology with different necessarily involves errors. Analyzing sources of errors, which is, language learners’ errors is crucial for teachers and transfer, strategies of second language the finding can be implemented in teaching learning and overgeneralization. The and learning process. findings also show that overgeneralization is The object of interlanguage research is to the main source of errors, followed by describe and explain the development of strategies in second language learning, and interlanguage and the ultimate failure of the least is language transfer. Ampa and interlanguage is to reach a state of identity Basri (2013) found out that the native with the target language (Al-kresheh, Indonesian-speaking students of English at 2015). Especially in Indonesia, many Faculty of Letters UMI Makassar made 16 researchers found that Indonesian students kinds of syntactic errors, such as identifier, still make errors in some linguistic features be auxiliary, do auxiliary, word form, word of English. Some researchers claim that class, and passive form. The findings also most errors are made by students who have indicated that they made 18 manners of studied English for more than five years. syntactic errors, such as misuse of verb Budiharto (2014) found out that the form, omission of identifier, misuse of university students in Madura cannot build a singular noun, omission of be, misuse of complex sentence well due to the different word order, misuse of identifier, and misuse word-order and sentence structure between of prepositional phrase as a subject. Madurese language and English in terms of Based on the findings of studies above, it morphology and syntax. There are two kinds proves that interlanguage errors take place of errors in their sentence arrangement, that in Indonesian classroom settings. Then, is, determining subject and verb agreement some queries arise, do the data above show

Handayani, Error Analysis and Interlanguage 81 significant evidences of the failure of However, Sadtono stated that Bahasa teachers of English? Does the English Indonesia was officially introduced as the syllabus in Indonesian educational setting national language, which "would later works well? Or are the students themselves become one of the major obstacles for the who are not so focused and probably quite success of English teaching in Indonesia" take it for granted while they are writing in? (Ihsan, 1988, pp. 2-3). After considering the Is the time in teaching English sufficient social effects, politics and education, enough? These set of questions may be English was finally regarded as the first given to the teachers who are aware of the foreign language in Indonesia. A success of their students in the process of complicated task and social explanation of language learning. However, the facts that English in Indonesia from Independence to English is taught only for an additional the present inevitiably occupied infomation subject at elemantary schools should also be about the role of English that has played in investigated by the stakeholders. The mind- society at large, especially in education. set of students towards English learning In addition, to the present, Government should be put in mind if they want to Regulation No. 19/2005 stipulates that achieve good level of English proficiency. language education should develop language Despite the facts that have been shown competence with special emphasis on above, it is worth noticing that English reading and writing according to the literacy learning in Indonesia has been in such a level of education. In the content standard, it long history. Then and now, providing is mentioned that the ultimate goal of English in primary schools is still debatable, learning English is to participate in moreover in rural areas. discourse or to communicate ideas, feelings, etc., in spoken and written English English History in Indonesia accurately, fluently and (/or) in English language teaching in Indonesia is an acceptable manner (Agustien, 2006 as influenced by its historical review where the cited in Yulia, 2014). Dutch (1700-1942) and the Japanese (1942- 1945) occupied Indonesia for long periods Error Analysis and Interlanguage of time. During the Dutch colonial period, Foreign or second language learners tend only few Indonesians received education, to pronounce words or utter sentences in but the majority of Indonesians we illiterate their own ways. According to Selinker (Lauder, 2008). According to Ihsan (1988), (1988), there exists a separate linguistic the teaching of English in Indonesia during system based on the observable output the Dutch period could be called which results from a learner's attempted "successful" in the sense that high school production of a target language norm which graduates could read English books without is called by interlanguage (IL). The IL term much difficulty. Good competence of the has been generally acknowledged to signify Dutch teachers of English, high motivation the language learners’ use of the target of Indonesian students, high salaries of the language. According to Tarone Dutch teachers and good environments and (1994), interlanguage is clearly different facilities of the schools are the four key from both the learner’s ‘native language’ factors of successful English language (NL) and the ‘target language’ (TL) being teaching in Indonesia in the Ducth era. learned, but linked to both NL and TL by While in the Japanese period, the interlingual identifications in the perception teaching of English was banned. Instead, of the learner. Following Corder (1981), IL The Japanese inflicted their language as the is the system of language learners, or simply most dominant foreign language used. the study of language learners' language.

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Learners develop their own knowledge of settings. The concept of errors becomes the language which is systematic, unique, and foremost trepidation in audiolingual independent. approaches. It turns into tshe innermost Interlanguage is somewhat EFL or ESL apprehension of language teaching. Error learners use to express their mind. Dulay, analysis is a crucial area of applied et.al (1982) prefers using the term linguistics and the second or foreign interlanguage as transitional constructions. languages learning. The movement of EA Transitional constructions are the language can be characterized as an attempt to forms learners use while they are still account learners’ errors that CA cannot learning the grammar of a language. For predict or explain and to bring new instance, a student who is still learning theoritical climate of applied linguistic English might say “Why you not come?” or (Dulay, Burt & Krashen, 1982). “Why you sad?” or “Why you mad?”. These flawed sentences are the transitional The Role of EA & IL in ELT constructions which indicate learners’ Instruments of Students’ Performance progress in learning a new form of a new towards English Competence language. Further, Corder (1981) defines IL Foreign or second language learning is a as an idiosyncratic dialect. It implied process of hyphothesis in which trial and thereby that it is a dialect whose rules share error always occurs. Even teachers could characteristics of two social dialects of make errors in the process of teaching languages, whether these languages because errors are inevitable. For example, themselves share rules or not. when a teacher is explaining a lesson he/she Errors are afflicted by the mother tongue speaks with incorrect grammar. But teachers interference which is known as interlingual do know how to correct themselves after interference. On the other hand, this reviewing the process of teaching because interlingual interference is not the only teachers are more acquainted with the source of errors that take place during the proper tenses, pluralizations, idioms, etc. process of learning. The form of the target Unlike teachers, students have not yet language also has an effect on making errors mastered the target language that is being which is known as the intralingual learnt. They tend to make errors more than interference (Geichi & Shekhzadeh, 2011). teachers do due to their less experience in Hence, errors could occur by two prominent identifying the correct forms of the target aspects namely, the interlingual or the language. Learners’ errors of course give mother tongue interference and the insight to the teacher about the learners’ intralingual or the target language difficulties in their learning process and, interference. There is an overlapping therefore, they are considered indispensable interference between the mother tongue and in learning and teaching process (Tizazu, the target language. According to Henderson 2014). Thus, teachers should analyse their (1985), some errors could be predicted by errors by conducting error analysis to get an Contrastive Analysis (CA). The latter overall knowledge of students` strengths and approach assumes that learners’ errors are weaknesses in learning a foreign or second systematic (Corder, 1981). Then, Selinker language. Regarding some facts about the (1972, as cited in Corder, 1981) discarded importance of applying error analysis in the the ‘errors’ terms by viewing the language clasroom settings, it is clear to the teachers used by the learners as a whole language that error analysis cannot be seen as an system. The purpose of Error Analysis (EA) unvaluable source to measure students’ is to investigate and analyse the teaching ability. Instead, it aids teachers not only to and learning process within the classrooms acknowledge how far students have

Handayani, Error Analysis and Interlanguage 83 mastered the materials, but also to perceive errors next time/students are not learning how good teachers’ methods and strategies from their errors, 6) students cannot in transfering the lessons and evaluating remember what teachers have marked, 7) students’ progress in learning. marking all errors cannot really help Students cannot correct themselves to students improve grammatical accuracy evaluate their learning progress. Neither can (Lee, 2003) they realize and make the most of their Applying error analysis, on the other ability in English. They do need teachers hand, concerns with organizing remedial who can always rebuke and assess their courses and devising appropriate materials enactment. Jayasundara and Premarathna and teaching strategies based on the findings (2011) state that doing EA in the classrooms of theoretical error analysis (Erdogan, can shed the light on designing curricula for 2005). Furthermore, teachers’ responsibility the better fulfillment of ESL teaching and is to systematically study such errors and learning objectives in Sri Lanka. Yousefi, bring to the attention of material developers Soori, and Janfaza (2014) also agree that EA and curriculum designers (Lighbown and purpose is to re-evaluate teachers’ teaching Spada as cited in Tizazu, 2014). According approaches and methods. With the evidence to Fang and Xue-Mei (2007), teachers that IL might contribute to their language should learn how to tolerate some errors, learning progress, patience is needed. More especially some local errors. Teachers importantly that the errors they made are not should keep tracking of how far towards the fossilized yet, as the the length of time that goal the learners have progressed and they will have to face. As Fauziati (2011) consequently what remains for them to suggests, some errors can be eradicated learn. Meanwhile, the students themselves through external pedagogical interventions can yield errors as a reminder what to do such as grammar instruction. and how to learn better in the future. In this sense teachers should teach students how to Feedbacks from Teachers are Valuable recognize errors and how to correct them. Lee (2003) recommends some reasons of Thus, there should be an exchange of teachers did comprehensive marking to the feedbacks between students and teachers students’ writing assignment such as, during the process of teaching and learning. teachers want to look at the overall Since errors are inevitable, teachers have to performance of students, the errors made by provide students with plenty of practices junior students are basic, have to be pointed inside or outside the classroom. With the out, and manageable, students prefer feedbacks they have collected, teachers are comprehensive marking to selective to make new attempts to achieve marking, teachers are considered lazy if they approximate desired goals more closely do not mark all student errors, Students have (Fang & Xue-Mei, 2007). to rely on teachers to tell them what errors they have made, if teachers don’t mark all Fruitful Advantages for Teachers and errors, students do not know what kinds of Learners errors they have made, it is the teachers’ Analyzing learners’ errors, in general, duty to mark all student errors, parents want has two-fold advantages. Firstly, it gives a teachers to mark all errors. He also proposes good understanding of the nature and types the results of the interview of teachers did of errors so as to devise appropriate ways to the selective marking of students’ writing; avoid them (pedagogical advantage); 1) it can save time, 2) students can focus on Secondly, it provides an insight about the specific area, 3) compositions are long, 4) process of second language acquisition for heavy workload, 5) even if teachers mark all the study of learners’ errors is part of the errors, students will still make the same systematic study of the learners’ language

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(Corder, 1981). These two significant CONCLUSION advantages of error analysis are absolutely To sum up, errors are inevitable for all essential to make well-founded proposals humans. Everyone makes erros and mistakes for the development and improvement of the in his/her life. Errors and mistakes are two materials and techniques of language things that people cannot deny. They serve teaching (Tizazu, 2014). According to as the real evidence of a learning process. In Corder (1981), error analysis is one of the a process of learning a second or a foreign most important tasks of the teacher in the language, errors are influenced by at least language classroom, and it is a part of the two interferences, namely, interlingual and skilled techniques of the teacher to decide intralingual interferences. The interchange when correction is necessary and to do it in of intralingual and interlingual factors a way that helps the learner to acquire most triggers learners’ errors. Thus, the learners expeditiously the correct forms of the target have their own linguistic system in learning language. a new language. It is believed that Corder (1981) proposed three advantages interlanguage is influenced by describable of studying errors, they are for the teachers, behaviour’s rule of linguistic systems. the researchers, and for the learners Regarding rules of behavior, students and themselves. Firstly, for the teachers; if teachers need to work together to overcome teachers are thoroughly aware of students’ learning problem. They may not be able to errors and do a systematic analysis, they avoid the errors and mistakes, but they can would recognize how far students have rectify the errors by practising them learnt and put forward new methods and frequently. Teacher`s role is as the checker strategies for them. Secondly, for the for students’ errors, while students can researchers, errors are the evidence of how remedy the mistakes through practice and language is acquired or learnt. What study regularly. Hence, there should be procedures the learners make during and feedbacks between teachers and students in after the process of learning. Lastly, for the the learning process. It applies to all learners, errors and mistakes are devices to teachers and students over the universe, recognize how good they are in learning the including in Indonesia. Although English in langauge. It is also as a prompt for them not Indonesia is considered as a foreign to do or use the same incorrect forms of a language and was formed through several new language. Teachers can benefit from issues, there is no reason to complain and the findings of error analysis in many ways. stop learning. Indonesian teachers and Following the student’s progress, the teacher students could still learn together to is able to carry on his studies in accordance eliminate errors and mistakes in learning with what the learner needs to know and English and that can be achieved by what part of the teaching strategy to chance analyzing and reflecting the errors they or reconstruct. Errors are a means of make. feedback for the teacher reflecting how Teachers should have good knowledge of effective he is in his teaching style and what English covering all linguistic and language changes he has to make to get higher aspects, viz., (phonetic (pronunciation), performance from his students. Furthermore, phonology (orthography), morphology errors indicate the points that need further (vocabulary), syntax (grammar, sentences), attention. Thus, it can be inferred that semantics, and pragmatics. Since grammar language teaching cannot stand away from is the basic of English, all teachers should the findings of error analysis (Erdogan, encompass the basic form of grammar. 2005). Teachers also should be aware with

Handayani, Error Analysis and Interlanguage 85 students’ errors. Sometimes teachers only learners. European Journal of Social focus on the lesson that they have to teach in Sciences, 16(1), 106-113. a limited time at schools while students have Ampa, T., A., & Basri, M. (2013). Syntactic to reach good English proficiency that is errors in descriptive paragraphs by native demanded by the goverment. It makes Indonesian-speaking students of English. teachers pay attention to students’ needs. International Journal of Linguistics, 5(5), They do not know what should be done for 125-137. students if they make mistakes or if the Budiharto, A. (2014). A morphosyntactic students have low English proficiency. analysis on the university students’ thesis Thus, error analysis is needed to be proposal in Madura. Proceedings of the accomplished by the teachers in order to see 3rd UAD TEFL International Conference, which part of language skills the students 866-873. Retrieved from http://utic.pbi. are still weak or low and to know what best uad.ac.id/ strategies to teach them. Corder, S. P. (1981). Error analysis and Students should study hard to master interlanguage. Oxford, England: Oxford English well. Schools and teachers are not University Press. the only sources to learn and gain Dulay, H., Burt, M., & Krashen, S. (1982). knowledge, but there are also plenty of Language two. Oxford, England: Oxford English courses nowadays are everywhere University Press. in town giving different atmosphere in Erdogan, V. 2005. Contribution of error learning English. Digital era at the present analysis to foreign language teaching. day also helps them to quickly search for Mersin University Journal of the Faculty new information and learn English easier. of Education, 1(2), 261-270. However, those study efforts are useless if Faisal, M., Mulya, K., & Syamsul, Ys., B. students do not practice English regularly (2016). Errors in EFL writing by junior and intensively. More exercises in speaking high students in Indonesia. International and writing can help students form and Journal of Research Studies in Language construct good sentences and utterances. Learning, 6(1), 38-52. doi: 10.5861 Teachers and students should work together /ijrsll.2016.1366 in order to get the best results in teaching Faisyal, R. (2015). Morphological and and learning English. Furthermore, by syntactic errors found in English applying EA in the classrooms, it can composition written by the students of provide clear intruments of students’ Daarut Taqwa Islamic Boarding School performance towards English competence, it Klaten. Retrieved from http://eprints. also can give feedbacks of teachers and ums.ac.id/38574/2/2.%20publikasi%20il students in language learning engagement, miah%20thesis.pdf and of course it is a fruitful advantage for Fang, X., & Xue-Mei, J. (2007). Error teachers and learners for their further analysis and the EFL classroom teaching. reseource of learning. US-China Education Review, 4(9), 10-14. Fauziati, E. (2011). Interlanguage and error REFERENCES fossilization: A study of Indonesian Al-kresheh, H. M. (2015). A review study of students learning English as a foreign interlanguage theory. International language. CONAPLIN JOURNAL Indo- Journal of Applied Linguistics & English nesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, Literature, 4(3), 123-131. 1(1), 25-40. Al-Khresheh, M. (2010). Interlingual Henderson, T. M. M. (1985). The notion of interference in the English language word interlanguage. Journal of Modern order structure of Jordanian EFL Language Learning, 21, 23-27. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/40

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