ERROR ANALYSIS IN WRITTEN PRODUCTION: GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND THEIR SOURCES IN INDONESIAN LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

Abstract

Writing skill has been considered the most challenging part of foreign language learning. This situation may be because writing skill is not innate and requires the cognitive skills of learners. While writing, learners must be able to perform different activities simultaneously (Flynn & Stainthorp, 2006). The area of learners’ errors has been heavily researched because many would like to find the causes of writing problems and help learners in improving their writing skills. Hence, the present study aims to analyze the types of learners’ errors generated by L2 learners and trace the sources of the errors. The findings of the present study indicate grammatical errors were most frequently committed by L2 learners in their writing skills. This may be due to the fact that their L1 interfered in the process of L2 production and that their knowledge of L2 grammar was limited as well as incomplete. The author suggests having a bigger sample for further studies with the same or different L2 proficiency levels in order to investigate whether they have an effect on errors produced by learners. In addition, elaboration on each error category and its sources should be provided to further contribute to the pedagogical impact of the study.