Analysing Writing Errors of Kurdish EFL Students

Abstract

This study has aimed at identifying and analysing writing errors of Kurdish EFL undergraduate students from two Departments of English at Koya University, Salahaddin University and two English Language Centres of the same universities in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (henceforth, KRI). The study also seeks to determine the types and frequency of each type of students’ errors in writing. Therefore, 80 students’ writing samples were collected randomly. The results were analysed using a combination of statistical and descriptive approaches. The results of the study showed that errors made by the Kurdish EFL students are mostly grammatical, lexical, punctuation and spelling errors respectively. The errors might be due to the students’ lack of experience, knowledge, and ignorance of English writing skills. Hence, the study suggested using two essential approaches to eliminate writing errors made by Kurdish EFL students. That is, proper teaching methods should be used to teach EFL students; also corrective feedback should be given mainly because both approaches are important and work together for the benefit of the students’ writing skills.