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Full Project – TENSE ERRORS IN ENGLISH ESSAYS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

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ABSTRACT

This Research Work focused on the tense Errors in English Essays of Secondary School Students. The research was conducted on essays written by thirty (30) Students of the above school. The analysis of the essays revealed the deficiencies of some of the Students in using English tense. In the use of the present tense, for instance, Students had more difficulties in the use of present tense compare to the use of other tense. It has also been observed that students commit these errors as a result of their mother tongue interference. It was also found out that the errors were as a result of poor teaching methods, lack of adequate textbooks and qualified English teachers. To minimize these problems, we suggest that the government should provide adequate textbooks on English grammar and qualified English teachers. So that student in the lower classes should be exposed to the various situations in which tenses should be used.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS PAGE

Title Page – – – – – – – – – i

Declaration – – – – – – – – – ii

Approval Page – – – – – – – – iii

Dedication – – – – – – – – – iv

Acknowledgement – – – – – – – – v

Abstract – – – – – – – – – vi

Table of Contents – – – – – – – – vii

CHAPTER ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.0 Background of the Study – – – – – – 1

1.1 Statement of Problem – – – – – – –

1.2 Aim and Objectives – – – – – – –

1.3 Significance of the Study – – – – – –

1.4 Scope and Delimitation – – – – – – 2

1.5 Justification of The Study – – – – – –

1.6 Methodology – – – – – – – –

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Meaning of Tense – – – – – – – 4

2.1 Types of English Tenses – – – – – – 5

2.2 Error Analysis – – – – – – – – 8

2.3 Types of Errors – – – – – – – 10

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction – – – – – – – – 15

3.1 Sources of Data – – – – – – – 15

3.2 Method of Data Presentation And Analysis – – – –

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION

4.1 Introduction – – – – – – – – 17

4.2 Data Presentation – – – – – – – 18

4.3 Data Analysis and Interpretation – – – – –

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 Introduction – – – – – – – – 27

5.1 Summary – – – – – – – – 27

5.2 Conclusion – – – – – – – – 28

5.3 Recommendations – – – – – – – 29

Works Cited – – – – – – – –

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The goal of teaching English is to develop learners‟ communicative competence consisting of grammatical or linguistic competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence (Canale and Swain, 1980). Linguistic competence knows how to use the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of language. Sociolinguistic competence is knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the relationships among the people communicating. Discourse competence is knowing how to interpret the larger context and how to construct longer stretches of language so that the parts make up a coherent whole. Strategic competence is knowing how to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps in one‟s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more about the language and in the context.

Notably, students are required to employ the English language whenever they communicate either through spoken or written form when it comes to academic endeavours. More importantly, students of English are expected to strictly consider rules of grammar anytime they engage the English language in their communicative activities; otherwise, there would be communication problem. According to Batstone (1994), using language without considering it‟s “grammar would be chaotic and cause the same communication problem, such as tense errors in writing and speaking.” Grammar, apart from being the rules for ordering words, it is also a resource for good communication (Halliday and Hasan, 1989 in Hyland, 2002).

considering it‟s “grammar would be chaotic and cause the same communication problem, such as tense errors in writing and speaking.” Grammar, apart from being the rules for ordering words, it is also a resource for good communication (Halliday and Hasan, 1989 in Hyland, 2002). The focus of this study is on first year second semester students of English of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti. First year second semester English undergraduates are students who have been exposed to basics of English grammar not only in their first semester in the university but at various times or the other in their post-primary school days. Therefore, they are expected to have internalised some basic rules of the English grammar. In their essay writing, they are expected to have attained a certain level of competence. In other words, there are some tense errors that are not expected to be committed at their level. The writing competence includes correct use of punctuations, arrangement of words in a sentence and a good aptitude about grammar (Hyland, 2002). The main purpose of teaching English is to help second language speakers achieve a level of communicative competence. Kittiporn (2013:116) claims that: The goal of teaching English is to develop learners‟ communicative competence consisting of grammatical or linguistic competence, sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence, and strategic competence (Canale and Swain, 1980). Linguistic competence knows how to use the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of language. Sociolinguistic competence is knowing how to use and respond to language appropriately, given the setting, the topic, and the relationships among the people communicating. Discourse competence is knowing how to interpret the larger context and how to construct longer stretches of language so that the parts make up a coherent whole. Strategic competence is knowing how to recognize and repair communication breakdowns, how to work around gaps in one‟s knowledge of the language, and how to learn more about the language and in the context. One of the important elements to develop the ability of learners to use language correctly and appropriately is grammatical competence. Skehan (1996) argues that inadequate grammatical instruction could lead to fossilization, classroom pidgins and negligible accuracy. In learning the second language, making tense errors is a common phenomenon; these errors have been referred to as systematic errors (Corder 1967; Kekere-Ekun 2010). These errors are systematic because in the process of acquiring a second language, incorrect utterances still manifest in the speech of learners which is a reflection of their level of linguistic development at a particular point in time. These tense errors could be found in both oral and written forms of communication. Scholars have identified various causes of tense errors. For example, Maicusi and Maicusí (2000) in their study of the errors in the second language acquisition maintain that inlearning process, errors have always been regarded as a negative occurrence which must be avoided like a plague. And because of this, teachers have a propensity to show a cruel attitude to their students. Errors, on one hand, are regarded as a failure of teaching process and on the other hand, they are seen as a natural result that can hardly be avoided, so we should deal and learn from them. Consequently, errors can be a very helpful means in learning a foreign language (Ellis and Barkhuizen 2005).

1.2 Statement of Problem

It has been discovered that second language learners of English face some difficulties while learning the language. This is because most second language learners find it difficult to speak or write good English. With the above in mind, this research work focuses on Tense Errors in English Essays of Secondary Schools Students This is to find out the tense errors the students make, the causes and possible suggestion of how to reduce the problems. The work addresses the following questions:

What are the errors students made?
What are the types of errors?
What are the causes of the errors?
What are the possible solutions to these errors?

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The aim of this research is to study Tense Errors in English Essays of Secondary Schools Students

The specific objectives are;

To identify the errors in the essays of the students.
To classify the errors identified into types
To find out and explain the possible causes of the errors.
To provide solutions to the causes of the errors.

1.4 Research Question

What are the Type of errors present in secondary school students’ English essays?
What are the Frequency of errors present in secondary school students’ English essays?
What is the Percentage of errors found in secondary school students’ English essays?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The falling standard of education generally could be attributed to poor comprehension of the English language lessons by students. This is due to the fact that, English language serves as a bed rock for understanding other disciplines of learning S.S.C.E holders cannot fully communicate in the national language (English) and it is on this basis that thiswork focuses on the tenses in the students written essays.

1.6 Scope and Delimitation

The study examined tense Errors in English Essays of Secondary School Students. This study is limited to the analysis of thirty scripts of S.S II Students of Maimuna Gwarzo in Kaduna South local government. The research is limited to found out tense errors made by students in the schools so as to provide the lasting solutions to aid teachers and students on how to guard against such problems.

1.7 Justification of the Study

This study is important as, it attempts to highlight the major tense errors committed by the students in their speaking and writing, and to provide the lasting solution on how to correct the errors.

1.8 Methodology

This section deals with how data is collected for the research work. The study covers the use of tense errors in English essays of secondary school students of some selected secondary schools in Kaduna South Local Government. The data for this work is the essay papers of thirty students of the schools.

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