The Common Grammatical Errors Taiwanese Students Often Make in English Research

Abstract

This study attempted to uncover the types of grammatical errors Taiwanese students often make in writing up research in English. It aimed to identify the errors students make, then classify them and analyze their causes. This study focused on analyzing students' grammatical errors in their Writing and Research Ⅱ class assignments. The subjects were 16 Taiwanese students in a graduate TESL program in a college in the southeastern United States. The subjects' grammatical errors fell into four major types: (1) faulty word choice and misuse of collocation, (2) misuse of articles, (3) misuse of verb forms, and (4) awkward sentences. The causes of these errors can be attributed to three sources: (1) interference of L1, (2) lack of grammar knowledge, and (3) lack of practice. The researcher suggests that to prevent these errors, students must draw their attention to the differences between Chinese and English, and then keep writing and keep reading myriad published research articles to improve their academic writing skills. It is hoped that this research can raise students' awareness of common grammatical errors and offer instructors some valuable information for enhancing the quality of Taiwanese students' English research.