By:
Syamsul Ma’arif
106014000440
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH EDUCATION
FACULTY OF TARBIYAH AND TEACHERS TRAINING
SYARIF HIDAYATULLAH STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY
JAKARTA
iii
1. Skripsi ini merupakan hasil karya asli saya yang diajukan untuk memenuhi
salah satu persyaratan memperoleh gelar strata 1 di UIN Syarif Hidayatullah
Jakarta.
2. Semua sumber yang saya gunakan dalam penulisan ini telah saya cantumkan
sesuai dengan ketentuan yang berlaku di UIN Syarif Hidayatulla Jakarta.
3. Jika di kemudian hari terbukti bukan hasil karya asli saya atau merupakan hasil
jiplakan dari karya orang lain, maka saya bersedia menerima sanksi yang
berlaku di UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
Ciputat, 7 April 2013
iv
Education Department, Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers’ Training, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.
Key words: Students’ Recount text, Grammatical Errors
English as an International language has an important role to develop science and technologies. So, we must know that language especially by writing to change the world. This research has demand to the writer to find the student problem in writing especially in writing recount text. The states of the problems are: (1) What analysis is to be described on the use recount text among students of the twelfth year MA Nurul Falah Serpong? (2) What analysis is to be described on the frequency occurrence of the errors made among the students of the twelfth year students of MA Nurul Falah Serpong on the use of recount text? In trying to analyze the students’ language, the research will be focused on the aspect of Grammatical Error on Students’ Writing of Recount Text among them.
The objectives of this study are (1) to identify and classify the errors of the twelfth year students of MA Nurul Falah Serpong in using writing recount text, (2) to describe the frequency occurrence of the errors. The instrument used was a test on English Recount text for Senoir High school level.
The population of the study was the twelfth year students of MA Nurul Falah Serpong, which consisted of one class. So, the samples used by researcher were only class XII. The samples consisted of 21 students.
Students errors identified in this study were categorized into fourteen types, namely, there are errors in producing singular plural, word form, word choice, verb tense, add a word, omit a word, word order, spelling, article, capitalization, run on sentence, punctuation, meaning not clear and incomplete sentence. The result of the analysis shows that there were in all, 442 errors among 21 students.
The types of errors among the students in constructing and using English recount text consisted of singular plural with 55 errors or 12.4%, word form with 10 errors or 2.26%,word choice with 75 errors or 16.9%, verb tense with 97errors or 21.9 %, add a word with 23 errors or 5.2 %, omit a word with 24 errors or 5.4 %, word order with 21 errors or 4.7 %, spelling with 16 errors or 3.6 %, article with 3 errors or 0.6 %, capitalization with 2 errors or 0.4 %, run on sentence with 30 errors or 6.7 %, punctuation with 58 errors or 13.1%. Meaning not clear with 21 errors or 4.7% and Incomplete sentence with 4 errors or 0.9 %. The highest level error is verb tense (21.9 %) and the lowest level is Article (0.6 %).
v
Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris, Fakultas Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, Syarif Hidayatullah Universitas Islam Negeri Jakarta.
Kata kunci: Teks Recount Siswa, Kesalahan gramatikal
Bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa Internasional memiliki peran penting dalam rangka mengembangkan ilmu pengetahuan dan teknologi. Jadi, kita harus tahu bahasa khususnya dengan menulis untuk merubah dunia. Penelitian ini menuntut peneliti untuk menemukan masalah dalam menulis siswa khususnya penulisan teks recount. Rumusan masalahnya adalah. (1) analisis apakah yang akan dijelaskan pada penggunaan teks recount siswa-siswi MA Nurul Falah Serpong tahun ajaran 2012/2013? (2) analisis apakah yang dijelaskan dalam frekuensi kesalahan yang dibuat siswa-siswi MA Nurul Falah Serpong pada penulisan teks recount? Didalam percobaan untuk menganalisisa bahasa siswa, peneliti akan fokus pada aspek Kesalahan Gramatikal Siswa didalam Penulisan Teks Recount.
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah (1) untuk mengidentifikasi dan mengklasifikasikan kesalahan siswa MA Nurul Falah Serpong kelas XII dalam penulisan Teks Recount, (2) untuk menggambarkan terjadinya frekuensi kesalahan. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah tes tentang Teks Recount Bahasa Inggris untuk setingkat SMA.
Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas XII MA Nurul Falah Serpong, yang terdiri dari satu kelas. Jadi, sampel yang digunakan oleh peneliti kelas XII. Sampel terdiri dari 21 siswa.
Kesalahan siswa diidentifikasi dalam penelitian ini terbagi menjadi empat belas kategori, yaitu Singular plural, Word Form, Word choice, Verb tense, Add a word, Omit a Word, Word order, Spelling, Article, Capitalization, Run on sentence, Punctuation, Meaning not clear and Incomplete sentence. Hasil analisa menunjukkan bahwa ada 442 kesalahan diantara 21 siswa.
Jenis kesalahan-kesalahan yang telah dilakukan siswa dalam menggunakan teks recount bahasa Inggris terdiri dari Singular plural adalah 55 kesalahan atau 12.4%, Word Form adalah 10 kesalahan atau 2.26%,Word choice adalah 75 kesalahan atau 16.9%, Verb tense adalah 97 kesalahan atau 21.9 %, Add a word adalah 23 kesalahan atau 5.2 %, Omit a Word adalah 24 kesalahan atau 5.4 %, Word order adalah 21 kesalahan atau 4.7 %, Spelling adalah 16 kesalahan atau 3.6 %, Article adalah 3 kesalahan atau 0.6 %, Capitalization adalah 2 kesalahan atau 0.4 %, Run on sentence adalah 30 kesalahan atau 6.7 %, Punctuation adalah 58 kesalahan atau 13.1%. Meaning not clear adalah 21 kesalahan atau 4.7% dan incomplete sentence adalah 4 kesalahan atau 0.9 %. Tingkat kesalahan tertinggi adalah verb tense (21,9%) dan tingkat terendah adalah article (0,6%).
vi
All praises be to Allah who gives the writer guidance and strength in
completing this “skripsi. Peace and blessing be upon the Prophet Muhammad
shalallahu ‘alaihi wassalam, his families, his relatives, and his followers.
First, the writer would like to express the greatest gratitude to his beloved
parents, Tjaman and Surati, and to his brother and sisters whose names cannot
be mentioned one by one. He thanks for love, support, and contributions both
moral and material.
The writer is deeply grateful to his advisor, Drs. A.M. Zainuri, M.pd,
who has guided the writer in writing this “skripsi” for the great contributions,
guidance, advices, corrections, and suggestions.
Furthermore, the writer would like to thank and appreciate to:
1. Nurlena Rifa’I, Ph.D, the Dean of Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers
Training, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta.
2. Drs. Syauki, M.Pd., the Head of English Department, Mrs. Neneng
Sunengsih, M.Pd., the secretary of English Department, Mrs. Aida
Ainul Wardah and all staffs who helped the writer.
3. All lecturers who have taught and given knowledge to the writer.
4. The headmaster, the English teacher, and the administration staffs of
MA Nurul Falah, Serpong, for giving the writer opportunity to do the
research in the school. Special thanks are for the third grade students
MA Nurul Falah Serpong for their cooperation as the respondents of
vii
May Allah Subhanallahu wa Ta’ala bless all. Finally, the writer realizes
that this “skripsi” is still far from being perfect. Therefore, he hopes some
suggestions or criticism to make it better. Then he wishes that this “skripsi” be
some valuable writing. Amin.
Jakarta, 07 April 2013
viii
ENDORSEMENT SHEET………...ii
SURAT PERNYATAAN KARYA SENDIRI……….……iii
ABSTRACT………...iv
ABSTRAK………..…...v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT………...vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS………...viii
LIST OF TABLES……….x
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study………. 1
B. Limitation of the study……… .2
C. Formulation of the problem………..3
D. Objective of the Study……….. 3
E. Significance of the Study……….... 3
CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK A. Writing………. 4
1. Concept of Writing………. 6
2. Writing Process……….. 6
3. Purposes of Writing……….... 8
4. Types of Writing Taught in SMU………... 8
B. Recount text……….... . .. 10
1. Definition of Recount text……… 10
2. Purpose of Recount text………. ..10
3. Linguistic Features of Recount text………. 11
4. Schematic Structures of Recount text……….. 11
C. Error Analysis……….….13
1. Definition of Error Analysis……… 13
ix
D.Grammatical Error on Students’ Writing of Recount Text.25
CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A. Time and Location……… .27
B. Method of Study……… ……27
C. Data and Data Sources………. ..27
D. Technique of Data Collecting……… 27
E. Instrument of Research……….. 28
F. Technique of Data Analysis………... 28
CHAPTER IV RESEARCH FINDINGS A. Data Description………29
B. Analysis of Data………34
C. Interpretation of Data………37
CHAPTER V CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION A. Conclusion………....41
B. Suggestion………41
BIBLIOGRAPHY
x
Table 2.3………..24
Table 4.1………..30
Table 4.2………..35
Table 4.3………..37
1
A. Background of the Study
Today, English is the world most widely studied foreign language.
Responding to this fact, the government of Indonesia includes it into the
curriculum of education with different level at different major. First, as a local
content subject in kindergarten to elementary school, so as compulsory subject in
the junior and senior high school, and also at college level, is taught as
complementary subject.
When students learn English, they are expected to be able to be high
command of the fourth skill: they are speaking, reading, listening and writing.
Many students think that they have a lot of trouble with writing, because they
have false expectations about the writing process. For instance, how easy it should
be and how long it should take.
According ( Hamp-Lyons and kroll, 1997:8), Writing is an act that takes
place within a context, that accomplishes a particular purpose, and that is
appropriately shaped for its intended audience1.
It might not be easy for most students to share their ideas through writing
since they find it involves transforming or reworking and also consuming not a
little time. They also often find it is harder to write sentences in English language
rather than to do it in Indonesian language since English language differs a lot
from their mother tongue from its structure, grammar, lexical meaning,
phonology, and many more.
From that situation, in the process of composing a sentence and writing in
English, student may do some errors and mistakes. While errors and mistakes are
1
two different things as defined by some experts, Errors cannot be self-corrected
by the student while mistake can be2.
From there on, an error analysis takes an important role to identify what
kinds of error that the students do the most in writing, the source of it and also
how those errors and mistakes give them feedback in their processes of language
learning.
Growing up in this digital era that demands people to be creative, innovative
and critical has constantly change students today became open minded and more
critical than their previous generations. People or even student in Indonesia has
used to live with democratize surrounding since 4 years ago which lets them to be
free to share their ideas to public as much as they want to.
The demand of being critical thinking make the school of Madrasah
Aliyah Nurul falah serpong set up an argumentative essay task in almost every
test like mid test and term test to the students of first grade to the third grade.
So this fact enhances not only the need to fulfill the writer’s curiously of
what happen in the school that relate to this to subject, but also the need to know
how- well the students whom called critical in their thoughts are pouring their
critical minds into paragraph writing, and these exactly drive the writer to do the
field research at the place.
Those are the reasons why the writer is interested in analyzing students’ paragraph
writing especially in Recount Text writing, the writer would to like to carry out a
researcher under title “Grammatical Errors on Students’ writing of Recount
text at MA Nurul Falah Serpong”
B. Limitation of Study
In order to prevent misunderstanding and to clarify the problem, it is
important to limit and to make the scope of it. In this study, the writer focused on
2
analyzing the student’s grammatical errors on recount text of Twelfth grade of
Madrasah Aliyah Nurul Falah Serpong. To make it easier and more focus, the
problem is limited on analyzing the students’ grammatical errors on recount
paragraph writing that based on Betty Azar’s grammatical errors classification.
Here are the classification: singular plural, word form, word choice, verb tense,
add word, omit word, word order, incomplete sentence, spelling, punctuation,
capitalization, article, meaning not clear, and run on sentence.
C.Formulation of the Problem
In this study, the writer analyzes the students’ writing in understanding
recount text at MA Nurul Falah Serpong. The main problem of this study is
“What kind of grammatical errors are faced by the twelfth year students of MA Nurul Falah Serpong in writing recount?” In addition, “What are the possible causes of those errors?”.
D. Objectives of the Study
In line with the statement above, the objectives of this study are to identify
the grammatical errors which students made commonly in writing English recount
text and to archive an empirical evidence of students’ most errors at Twelfth
Grade of Madrasah Aliyah Nurul Falah Serpong.
E. Significance of the Study
This study uses descriptive analysis research that needs a teaching and
learning language’s process observation taken by the writer so then he collected
the students’ recount test that the writer gave and analyzed them through
classifying their error on using the Standard English in recount text. Lastly, he
interpreted the data about what kind of error that mostly made when writing
4
A. Writing
There is no particular definition about writing stated by an author or a
linguist. Shaughnessy, (1977:234) stated writing is “the record of an idea
developing”. It is a process whereby an initial idea gets extended and refined”1.
Writing is a visual/motoric process which, although it is produced through the
dimension of time (as all human actions are), has the inherent potential to persist
through time, and for different sections to be revisited in the same form2. Writing
is different from Speaking, described by Halliday as a process (speech) and the
other as a product (writing) leads to further divergence between the two3. Halliday
(1989) has suggested that there is a greater density of content words in writing
than in speech4.
Writing involves more than just producing words and sentences. To be
able to produce a piece of writing, we must be able to write a connected series
of words and sentences which are grammatically and logically linked, so that the
purpose we have in our mind will suit the intended readers. In this way, it is mean
that the style of language used in a piece of writing designed for layman and
people living in the village, for example should be different from the one designed
for educated people such as students, teachers, doctors, professors, etc. There fore,
in presenting a piece of discourse we should consider the correctness of form, the
appropriateness of style, and the unity of topic. Writing should be done with the
understanding from the past time in order to inform and express what had
1
Vivian Zamel, Writing: The process of Discovering Meaning, TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 16, No.2 (Jun., 1982), pp.195-209.
2 Rebecca Hughes, English in Speech and Writing, (London: Routledge, 1996), p. 6 3
Ibid., p. 138 4
happened. It should be well-organized in order to be understandable for the
readers.
Writing that both of them are different from speaking; the relationship
between writing and speaking is productive skill. A useful summary of some the
differences between speaking and writing can be found in Brown (1994)5. Brown
provides the following list of the characteristic that ordinary differences written
language from spoken language:
a. Permanence : Oral language is transitory and must be processed in real
time, while written language is permanent and can be read and reread
as often as one likes
b. Production time: writer generally have more time to plan, review, and
revise their words before they are finalized, while speakers must plan,
formulate, and deliver their utterances within a few moments if they
are to maintain a conversation
c. Distance between the writer and the reader in both time and space,
which eliminates much of the shared context that is present between
speaker and listener in ordinary face-to-face contact and thus
necessitates greater explicitness on the part of the writer
d. Orthography, which carries a limited amount of information compared
to the richness of devices available to speakers to enhance a message
(e.g. stress, intonation, pitch, volume, pausing, etc)
e. Complexity, written language tends to be characterized by longer
clauses and more subordinators, while spoken language tends to have
shorter clauses connected by coordinators, as well as more redundancy
(e.g. repetition of nouns and verbs)
f. Formality, because of the social and cultural uses to which writing is
ordinary put, writing tends to be more formal than speaking
5
g. Vocabulary, written texts tend to contain a wider variety of words, and
more lower-frequency words, than oral texts.
1. Concept of Writing
The most important invention in human is writing. Writing allows us to
share our communication with other people. It permits people from the near and
far distant past to speak us. It begins a significantly by concept of writing.
Conceptual writing doesn't really have much to do with mathematics,
philosophy, or any other mental discipline. The mathematics used by most writers
is simple arithmetic or simple number systems. The philosophy of the work is
implicit in the work and it is not an illustration of any system of philosophy. A
Conceptual writing is good only when the idea is good.
In conceptual writing the idea or concept is the most important aspect of
the work. When an author uses a conceptual form of writing, it means that all of
the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a
perfunctory affair. Conceptual writing is not necessarily logical. The logic of a
piece or series of pieces is a device that is used at times, only to be ruined.
Conceptual writing is planning of writing; Planning activities occur throughout
the entire writing process, Flower and Hayes (1981) identify three planning
activities that we address in our research: generating ideas, organizing, and goal
setting6. Idea generation is based on those ideas that can be retrieved or generated
from stored knowledge in long-term memory, or from accessing external,
provided or selected sources, and even from the social environment.
2. Writing Process
Learning to write is like learning to read. Both follow a sequential
process. Writing requires and combines of more basic skills than any other subject
6
area. The writing process begins in the early grades by exposing students to a
variety of quality books read aloud.
This process entails several stages, such as “rehearsing, drafting, and
revising” (Murray 1980:4-5)7, these stages interact together and repeatedly in
order to discover meaning. Writing viewed from this perspective is the process of
exploring one’s thoughts and learning from the act of writing itself what these
thoughts are.
The writing process approach recognizes that there are many stages to
writing, there are three kinds of writing process8:
a. Preparing to write
Most writing requires some preparation, how long we spend on this
preparation, and what we do, largely depends on reader, purposes, the contents
and the writing situation.
b. Drafting
The drafting stage is where we really begin writing. The most important thing
here is to get words into paper. It is not the time to worry about spelling,
grammar, punctuation or the best wording.
c. Revising
The revising is most important stage in the writing process. Revising might
take place while we are drafting or after we have finished a draft. It involves
checking that our content and purpose are clear and appropriate for the reader, in
the particular writing situation.
7
Zamel. loc. cit
8
3. Purpose of Writing
When we write a book or an article we will have to know the purpose of
writing. The purpose of writing is to express one's thoughts (feelings, ideas,
arguments, etc...) on a piece of paper. This type of expression comes in many
forms such as essays, research papers, poems, and in some cases drawings. And
the purposes of writing as assessment; as an aid to critical thinking, understanding
and memory; to extend students’ learning beyond lectures and other formal
meetings; to improve students’ communication skills; and to train students as
future professionals in particular disciplines9.
The whole process of writing even a paper, from the beginning to the end, can
be complicated, and sometimes, even discouraging. A paper begins with ideas and
planning, and then is drafted into a structural form (i.e. paragraphs, poems, etc...);
the whole is revised and edited until it is clear.
The point of writing is to have something to say and to make a difference in
saying it. Rarely, however, is impact the focus in writing instruction in English
class. 10 The task demands in the writing make a further point about authentic
writing. It should have great empathy for the reader and pay close attention to
context.
4. Types of Writing taught in SMU
In the teaching of writing there are types of literature that should be known by
teacher mostly who will teach at Senior High School. In applying School Based
Curriculum, when teaching, a teacher can use any method as long as it suits
the students needs, characteristics, and facilities the school has, so that the
results of learning will be the most effective. The role of model texts,
9
Caroline Coffin, et. al, Teaching Academic Writing, (London: Routledge, 2003), p.20
10
Grant Wiggins Hopewell, Real-World Writing: Making Purpose and Audience Matter,
particularly Writing ones can be clearly seen through the scope of English
subject, as stated in the school based curriculum (2007), which covers11:
a. Discourse competence, that is the competence to understand and/or
produce texts, both speaking and written, which is realized in the four
language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing to achieve the
informational literacy.
b. Interpreting and producing various short functional texts and monologue
of various genres: procedure, descriptive, recount, narrative, report,
news-item, analytical exposition, hortatory exposition, spoof, explanation,
discussion, review, public speaking. The gradation of material can be seen
through lexico-grammar used and the text development.
c. Supporting competencies: linguistic competence (using grammar, lexical
items, pronunciation, punctuation appropriately), socio-cultural competence
(using appropriate expressions in various context of situations), strategic
competence (overcoming problems when CB (Communication breakdown) occurs so that communication does not stop, and actional competence
(conveying and understanding communicative intent by performing and
interpreting speech and speech act sets) (School Based Curriculum, 2007: 308).
From curriculum above explains that discourse competence is the competence
to understand how to produce the texts both speaking and written. The students
are expected to know the four competencies such as writing, reading, speaking
and listening. The second is interpreting and producing short functional text, the
students are asked to produce short functional text with different gender. It makes
students has competent in mastering the English language especially in writing
knowledge. For writing knowledge, Students are asked to make a short text with
different genre such as procedure, descriptive, recount, narrative, report,
news-items, analytical exposition, hortatory exposition, spoof, explanation, discussion,
review, public speaking. The last is supporting competencies, after the student
11
understand about four competencies and produce various short functional texts.
The student must pay attention all about linguistic competence (grammar, lexical
items, punctuation appropriately), socio-cultural competence (appropriate
expression in various context of situation), strategic competence (communication
doesn’t stop before overcoming problems), and actional competence, when we
will communicate to other people we must understand what we will show to our
interlocutors by performing, interpreting and speech act sets.
Three elements above can support the learning activities of students in
learning the English language and it can support the students in their
competencies.
B. Recount Text
1. Definition of Recount text
Often we will want to tell other people about something that has happened
in our life. We might want to tell about what we did at the weekend. It might be
about exciting things that happened when we were on holidays last year.
According to Anderson (1997: 48) a recount is a piece of text that retells
past events, usually in the order they occurred. Its purpose is to provide the
audience with a descriptive occurred and when it’s occurred12. Recount text
means the form of the text telling about someone experience in the past used in
curriculum 2004, it usually tells about the experience of the readers themselves,
such as their adventure and their last day’s activities.
2. Purpose of Recount text
In writing we have a purpose before making writing, especially in recount
writing, what we want our writing to do and to describe accurately retell an
incident in the past moment. It means that, all activities and incident in the past
moment will be described in the text. A recount has social function. Recount “tell
12
what happened”. The purpose of a social recount is to document a series of events
and evaluate their significance in some way. It is also to give the audience a
descriptions of what occurred and when it occurred
The purpose of recount text is either to inform or to entertain the audience.
There is no complication among the participants and that differentiates from
narrative13. The story of recount has expressions of attitude and feeling, usually
made by narrator about the event.
3. Linguistic Features of Recount text
A recount text usually has three main sections. The first paragraph gives
background information about who, what, where and when (called orientation).
This is followed by a series of paragraph that retells the event of order in which
they happened. Some recounts have a concluding paragraph ever this is not
always necessary. The language features usually found in a recount text are14:
a. Proper nouns to identify those involved in the text (in orientation)
b. Descriptive words to give details who, what, when, where and how.
c. The use of the past tense to retell the events
d. Words that show the order of events (for example, first, next, then)
4. Schematic Structures of Recount text
Every text has a schematic structure. The schematic structure of recount is15:
a. Orientation: introductory paragraph that tells about who, where, and when
b. Series of events in the order in which they occurred
c. A conclusion
13
Zulkifli Pelana, Recount Text , 2012, (http://zonapelajar.blogspot.com/2011/03/recount-text.html)
14
Anderson, op. cit., p. 50
15
Table 2.1
Example of Recount Text
Title Lateness
Orientation: It consists of background
Information about who, where, and when.
Last morning, Dinar, my roommate
woke up late and she had to go to
campus.
.
Sequence of events – series of events
typically ordered in chronological order.
When she wanted to take her
motorcycle, in fact she couldn’t
move it because there were some
motorcycles that blocked up her
motorcycle.
She tried to move all of the
motorcycles, so that her motorcycle
could move from the garage. But
she couldn’t do it.
A conclusion Then, she called Adel who had that
motorcycle which blocked it up.
After that, her friend who had that
motorcycle helped her. Finally, she
could move her motorcycle and
Taken from http://www.englishindo.com/2012/01/9-contoh-recount-text pilihan.html.16
C. ERROR ANALYSIS
1. Definition of Error Analysis
Error analysis is an activity to reveal errors found writing and speaking.
Richards et.al (1985:96) state that error analysis is the study of errors made by the
second and foreign language learners17. Error analysis may be carried out in order
to find out how well someone knows a language, to find out how a person learns a
language, and obtain information on common difficulties in language learning, as
an aid in teaching or in the preparation of teaching materials.
Another concept of Error Analysis is given by Brown (1980: 166)18. He
defined error analysis as the process, analyze, and classify the deviations of the
rules of the second language and then to reveal the systems operated by learner. It
seems this concept is the same as the one proposed by Crystal (1987:112)19 i.e.
error analysis is a technique for indentifying, classifying, and systematically
interpreting the unacceptable forms produced by someone learning a foreign
language, using any of the principles and procedures provided by linguistics.
2. Definition of Errors and Mistakes
Corder (1971:152) stated that errors are ‘the result of some failure of
performance’. Norrish (1983:7), like Corder, defined ‘an error’ as a systematic
deviation that happens when a learner has not learnt something and consistently
‘get(s) it wrong’20. James (1998:1) also identified a language error as an
unsuccessful bit of language. Moreover, he pointed out that error is likewise
16
Era Meiswarawati , 9 Contoh Recount Text Pilihan, 2013, (http://www.englishindo.com/2012/01/9-contoh-recount-text-pilihan.html,)
17
Sunardi hasyim, Error analysis in the Teaching of English, volume 4, number 1, June 2002, p.43
18
Ibid.
19
Ibid.
20
unique to humans, and error analysis is the process of determining the incidence,
nature, causes and consequences of unsuccessful language. Errors are significant
in three different ways. First to the teacher, errors tell him how far the learner has
progressed and consequently, what remains for him to learn. Second, errors
provide researchers with evidence on how language is learnt or acquired, what
strategies or procedures the learner are employing in his discovery of the
language. Thirdly, errors are indispensable to the learner himself, because errors
can be regarded as a device the learner uses in order to learn21.
And then what is Mistakes, Miller stated (1996) puts it22, it would be
meaningless to state rule for making mistakes’. It will be useful therefore
hereafter to refer to errors of performance as mistakes, reserving the term error to refer to the systematic errors of the language to date. Mistakes are of no
significance to the process of language learning. However the problem of
determining what a learner’s mistake is and what a learner’s error is one of some
difficulty and involves a much more sophisticated study and analysis of errors
than is usually accorded them.
Conclusion of above, there are various linguistic expert understanding of the
error are in fixing in mistake or not. If error the students does not know how to fix
their mistake in their performance. So, it must helped by other people or teacher
but mistake the student know how to fix their error in their performance. James
said that Errors are in three different ways, first teachers can know the student's
learning progress and they only adds the knowledge that the students do not know.
Second, the teacher can find the student’s errors and the student can change the
errors himself. Third, an error is necessary for the teachers to support the extent in
which students learn serious or not and it very useful to the teacher in his
evaluation materials for teaching and learning activities.
21
Ibid.
22
3. Differences between Errors and Mistakes
We need to distinguish errors and mistakes. Error and Mistakes are
synonyms but two or more different words that bear the same or similar meaning.
However, there are appropriate ways to use the words, and this will often depend
on the context. Ellis (1997) raises the need to distinguish between errors and
mistakes and makes an important distinction between the two. He says that errors
reflect gaps in the learner’s knowledge; they occur because the learner does not
know what is correct. Mistakes reflect occasional lapses in performance; they
occur because, in a particular instance, the learner is unable to perform what he or
she knows23.According to Ancker (2000), a mistake is a performance error that is
either a random guess or a slip, it is a failure to utilize a word correctly, and an
error is a noticeable deviation from the language of a native speaker24. J. Edge
(1989) suggests dividing mistakes into three types: slips, errors and attempts.
“Slips” are mistakes that students can correct themselves; “errors” are mistakes
which students cannot correct themselves; “attempts” are student’s intentions of
using the language without knowing the right way. In this article, either the most
common linguistic term “error” or the students’ preferred term “mistake” will be
used interchangeably25.
For example of mistakes, a student was answering a question raised by the
researchers to describe her daily routine, and her answer which was recorded is as
follow26:
a. My mum wake me up at six o'clock then I goes to the bathroom to washes my face and brushes my teeth. As usual my mum prepare my breakfast and give me a sandwich for college.
23
Baljit Bhela, Native language interference in learning a second language: Exploratory case studies of native language interference with target language usage, International Education Journal. Vol 1, No 1, 1999
24
Galina Kavaliauskien , Case Study: Learner Attitudes Toward The Correction Of Mistakes , Socialin s Technologijos Social Technologies 2012, 2(1), p. 88–101
25
Ibid.
26
As can be seen in the above mentioned example in (1) as a mistake
because the student is insisting on adding the –s form to the first person singular;
whereas the –s form is omitted where needed. Also the student is not realizing the
rule of to-infinitive. Thus, this is a real example from our English class which
proves the student's unawareness of the grammatical rules and patterns of
subject-verb agreement and the infinitive form.
b. They goes to school and stays in a big hotel in Irbid.
This statement in (2) is also ungrammatical and considered as an error
because the learner thinks that the pronoun is plural and accordingly the–s form
which is added to the verb is a must. This indicates that learner here cannot
distinguish between the plural morpheme and the present tense morpheme (-s). It
shows that the learner has over-generalized the rule in the example above
c. He have wrote her homework and have did it.
The above utterance is an error because the learner could not correct herself in
the subject verb-agreement as of repeating the same error which is "have". The
learner is not realizing the ungrammatical utterance because she lacks competence
(her knowledge of the internal structure of the language).
The distinction between a mistake and an error has serious implications for
teaching and learning processes. Many of our students are unaware of the
differences between the two or if they are aware, they are unable to apply the
grammatical rule(s) to their spoken utterances. This is a conclusion in the work of
Krashen (e.g . 1976; 1981), they are27 :
27
Table 2.2
Notions of Error in Linguistics
Error
Linguistics Applied Linguistics
'Mistake'
belonging
performance
'Error'
belonging
Competence
'Mistake'
belonging
performance
Characteristics:
- slips of the tongue
- lapses of memory
- speech condition from
physical/mental state
- made by NS only
- speaker knowledge of
language system
- can be self-monitored/
self corrected
- rarely corrected by others
Characteristics:
- speaker knowledge
of language in
question
- monitored/corrected
by others
Characteristics:
- slips of the tongue
- lapses of memory
- speech condition
from physical /
mental state
- assumed to have
speaker knowledge
of language system
- self-corrected/
Self-monitored
- monitored by others
Krashen himself sees the role of the monitor as being confined to conscious
'learning', a process which he sees as having no effect upon language 'acquisition',
several other researchers have rejected his claims on these points: summaries
recent discussion and references28. Teaching experience also suggests that
28
conscious attention to errors and mistakes could raise learner awareness of form
and function and that this will eventually affect acquisition as well as performance
and competence.
So, the conclusion of various linguistic experts likes Elis (1997). Errors and
mistakes are similar but difference in meaning. Errors are mistake that reflect the
students and the students could not fix their mistakes. Being according Ancker
(2000), mistakes is student error in slip their performance. So, differences in error
and mistake were only in knowledge their self. Error centered on student
ignorance and mistake in fixing mistakes, fixing errors based on the previous
knowledge.
Krashen himself sees the differences between error and mistake in his research
has serious implications for teaching and learning processes. Errors are divided
into two linguistic and applied linguistic. In linguistic, belonging mistake have
performance characteristics such as slips of the tongue, lapses of memory, speech
condition, can be self-monitored / self corrected. And errors in applied linguistics,
belonging error competence has different characteristics from mistake such as the
speaker knowledge of language in question, monitored by other and corrected by
others. So, the obvious conclusions both of them are the error based on
competency and performance-based mistakes.
4. The Causes of Errors
There are some opinions relate to the causes of errors. H. Douglas Brown
claims that there are four major causes of errors; they are inter-lingual transfer,
intra-lingual transfer, context of learning and communication strategies29.
a. Interlingual Transfer
Inter-lingual transfer is a significant source of error for all learners. It
happened because the native language or mother language interference. In these
29
early stages, before the system of the second language is familiar, the native
language is only the previous linguistic system upon which the learner can draw.
b. Intralingual Transfer
Intra-lingual transfer (the transfer within the target language itself) is a
major factor in second language learning. Researcher have found that the early
stages of language learning are characterized by a predominance of interference
(inter-lingual), but once learners have begun to acquire parts of the new system,
more and more intra-lingual transfer-generalization within the target language-is
manifested. Negative intra-lingual transfer, or overgeneralization, has already
been illustrated in such utterances as “Does John can sing?” other example like
“He good” and “I don’t know what time is it?”
c. Context of Learning
“Context” refers, for example, to the classroom with its teacher and its
materials in the case of school or the social situation in the case of untutored
second language learning. In a classroom context the teacher or the textbook can
lead the learner to make faulty hypotheses about the language. Students often
make errors because of a misleading from the teacher or word in a textbook, or
even because of a pattern that was rote memorized in a drill but improperly
contextualized.
d. Communication strategies
It is defined and related to learning style. It is also regarded as elements of
strategic competence in which learners bring to bear all the possible facets of their
growing competence in order to deliver clear messages in the second language.
Learners often use production strategies in order to get their message across, but
at times these techniques can cause errors.
Error may derive from both two transfer; Interlingual and Intralingual,
sources will be obviously used in the next chapter as a final step of the procedure
of error analysis.
The similar opinion came from Peter Hubbard. He explained the causes
of error. The sources or error are essentially the same as the causes of error. He
distinguished the cause of error into three parts30:
a. Mother Tongue Interference
Although the young children appear to able to learn the foreign language
quite easily and to produce the new sound very effectively, older learner
experience considerable difficulty. The sound system (phonology) and the
grammar of the first language impose themselves on the new language and this
leads to a ‘foreign’ pronunciation, faulty grammatical pattern and, occasionally,
the wrong choice of vocabulary.
b. Overgeneralization
The mentalist theory claims that errors are inevitable because they reflect
various stages in the language development of the learners; it claims that the
learner process new language data in his mind and produce rules for its
production, based on the evidence.
c. Teaching Material of Method
The teaching Material or Method also can contribute to the students’ error.
According to those who support behaviorism theory, error is evidence of failure,
of ineffective teaching or lack of control. If materials well chosen, graded and
presented with meticulous care, there should never be any error.
Jack C. Richards in his book; Error Analysis: Perspective on Second Language Acquisition also distinguished the causes of errors into four parts, they
are31:
30
a. Over-generalization
Overgeneralization is the use of the previously learned rule in new
situations. Over-generalization includes instances where the learner makes a rule
based on his/ her experience of other rules in target language.
b. Ignorance of Rule Restriction
This cause is the result of the failure to observe the restriction of existing
structures that is the application of rules to context where they do not apply.
c. Incomplete Applicant of the Rules
This cause of error arises as the result of the learner’s high motivation to
achieve communicative ability. In achieving it, the learner may produce
grammatically incorrect sentence.
d. False Concept Hypothesized
It arises as the result of faulty comprehension of the distinction in the
foreign language. Sometimes it is also because of the poor gradation of the
materials of teaching.
5. Kinds of Errors and Mistakes
Learning a foreign language is different from learning one’s mother
tongue. Learning foreign language is not easy because mostly the student is still
making an error or mistakes. Error is usually caused by lack of knowledge about
the target language or incorrect hypothesis about it and mistakes caused by
temporary lapses of memory, confusion, slips of the tongue and so on32. But
mistakes can be corrected the wrong form by the learner. In other words, mistakes
are a performance problem rather than a competence problem. Edge stated (1989)
31
Jack C. Richards, Error Analysis: Perspective on Second Language Acquisition
(London: Longman Group Limited, 1974), pp. 174-178
32
rejects this error-mistake classification and calls all deviations from the norm
mistakes. These mistakes include33:
1) Slips, which are a result of processing problems or carelessness’ Edge,
(1989:11);
2) Errors, which are comprehensible but which the learner is unable to correct,
although the form has been taught; and
3) Attempts, which are fairly incomprehensible and uncorrectable by the learner.
An Error which the learner does not recognize as errors the learner
recognizes as errors but which he or she cannot correct. Most linguists stated like
as James (1998) studied Error and classified errors into two types34:
a. Linguistic category classification
This type of taxonomy specifies errors in terms of linguistic categories and in
terms of where the error is located in the overall system of the target language.
First, it indicates at what level of language the error is located: in phonology,
grammar, lexis, text or discourse and if it is at grammar level, what particular
grammatical construction does it involve? Some possibilities they list are: the
auxiliary system and passive sentence complements. Having established the level
of the error, one next asks about its class. Given that it is a grammar error, does it
involve the class of a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, or
determiner? which leads to the assignment of a rank to the error, in terms of where
it lies on the hierarchy of units that constitute its level.
b. The surface structure taxonomy
This is the second type of descriptive taxonomy proposed by Dulay, Burt and
Krashen (1982) who describe this taxonomy as being based on “the way surface
33
Muzi V. Nzama, Error Analysis: A Study Of Errors commited by Isizulu Speaking Learners of English in Selected Schools , thesis The Department of General Linguistics at the University of Zululand, (Empangeni: University of Zululand, n. d. ), p. 43
34
structures are altered.” Errors can occur because of change in surface structure in
specific and systematic ways. There are four ways in which learners “modify”
target forms in specific and systematic ways.
1). Omission
Learners in the early stages of learning tend to omit function words rather
than content words. More advanced learners tend to be aware of their ignorance of
content words and rather than omit one, they resort to compensatory strategies to
express their idea (Kasper and Kellerman, 1997).
2). Addition
This manifestation of error, according to Dulay, Burt and Krashen, is the
‘result of all-too-faithful use of certain rules’ (1982, p.156) and they suggest there
are subtypes. First is regularization, which involves overlooking exceptions and
spreading rules to domains where they do not apply, for example producing the
incorrect “buyed” for “bought.” Second, is double marking, defined as ‘failure to
delete certain items which are required in some linguistic constructions but not in
others’. Here is an example: He doesn’t knows me.
3). Misformation
Dulay, Burt and Krashen define misinformation as use of the wrong form
of a structure or morpheme, and give examples like: (a). I* seen her yesterday.
(b).He hurt* himself.
4). Misordering
This category is relatively uncontroversial. The learners can select the
right forms to use in the right context, but they arrange them in the wrong order,
for instance, adverbials, interrogatives and adjectives, yielding errors as in: (a).
*He every time come late home. (b). *Tell me where did you go. (c). *The words
Other categories of grammatical Error classification are from Betty
Schrampfer Azar . She classifies the grammatical error in 13 categories, they
are35:
Table 2.3 Category of Error
No. Category Example Correction
1. Singular - Plural He have been here for
six month
He has been for six
months
2. Word Form I saw a beauty picture I saw a beautiful
picture
3. Word Choice She got on the taxi She got into the taxi
4. Verb Tense He is here since June He has been here
since June
5+. Add a Word I want go to the zoo I want to go to the
zoo
5-. Omit a Word She entered to the
university
She entered the
university
6. Word Order I saw five times that
movie.
I saw that movie five
times
7. Incomplete Sentence I went to bed. Because I
was tired
I went to bed
because I was tired
8. Spelling An accident occurred
9. Punctuation What did he say What did he say?
10. Capitalization I am studying English I am studying
English
11. Article I had a accident I had an accident
35
12. Meaning Not Clear He Borrowed some
13. Run-On Sentence My roommate was
sleeping, we didn’t want
to wake her up.
My roommate was
sleeping, We didn’t
want to wake her up.
Taken from the book Betty Schrampfer Azar, English Grammar: Understanding and
Using, (Eaglewood Prentice Hall, 1989), 2nd Edition.
This grammatical Errors Classification of Betty Schrampfer Azar will be
used in this study.
D. Grammatical Error on Students’ Writing Recount Text
Writing is an activity that can usefully be prepared for by work in the other
skills of listening, speaking and reading36. Writing plays an important role for
students who are required to be able to write different types of text according to
curriculum, such as descriptive, narrative, and recount texts. According to the
2006 Competence Based Curriculum, a recount text is taught in senior high
school. Writing a recount text has three parts in text organization: orientation,
sequence of events and reorientation ; and language features: use proper nouns,
use of the past tense, use descriptive words, and words showing the order of
events ( Mark Anderson & Kathy Anderson 1997: 51)37. Most of student had
problems in writing a recount text when they had to concern with the text
organization and the language features because of their limited mastery. The
students were confused of how to write a recount text correctly. In the end, when
the students wrote the text, the errors occurred in the text organization and the
language features, such as use of past tense.
In this final project, the researcher discusses an Error Analysis in Students’
Writing Recount Text. Writing a recount text must be clear, vivid, and concrete.
36
I. S. P. Nation, Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing, (UK: Routledge, 2009), p. 113
37
The readers can be confused and also they may find difficulties understanding the
content of the text which he/she has written. Therefore, through recount text, the
researcher would like to find out the students’ learning problems, the causes and
27
A. Time and Location
The writer did the research on Thursday October 9th, 2012. The writer was conducted at MA Nurul Falah Serpong which is located on Jalan H.Saran no. 27
Serpong, South Tangerang.
B. Method of Study
The writer used the descriptive analysis method and used the procedures
of error analysis itself. The Research tries to describe the errors made by students
when they write a subject. The writer tries to calculate the errors, make the
reconstruction and classify causes of error.
C. Data and Data Sources
The data of the research were the students’ errors in the use of Recount Text Writing; the data sources were taken from the test, and it was used to know kinds of errors made by the students of MA Nurul Falah Serpong.
D. Technique of Data Collecting
In collecting the data, the writer gave the test to find out the students’ errors in
the use of Recount Text Writing. This test was used to know kinds of errors made by the Twelfth Grade students of MA Nurul Falah Serpong in using the Recount Text. The Writer came to the field, and the writer asks them to make three paragraphs about their last holiday. After that, collected their works, and analyzed
E. Instrument of the Research
The instrument of this research was a writing test. The type of writing is
guided writing, which the topic is given by student’s activity in their last holiday.
The text was recount text. The text is divided into three parts, orientation, series of
events and reorientation or conclusion. The test made by the writer. The material
was taken from the book.
F. Technique of Data Analysis
To find out the effectiveness of analysis on students’ error in using
Recount Text, the researcher used distribution frequency relative or descriptive analysis technique (percentage formula). This is adapted from Sudjono and
described in the table of percentage1. In the table of percentage, the writer uses the
formula:
P = percentage
F = frequency of error occurred
N = number of sample which is observed
1
Prof. Drs. Anas Sudjono, Pengantar Statistik Pendidikan, (Jakarta: Raja Grafindo Persada, 2007), p. 43.
29
A. Data Description
The research discussed the errors that done by the twelfth grade students of
MA Nurul Falah Serpong, Tangerang Selatan in writing recounts text. To get the
data, the writer give the guided writing test with the topic about what did you do
on your last holiday.
The text is divided into 3 parts. First is orientation about who, what, when,
and where. The second part is sequence of event what happened, and the third is
reorientation or conclusion. The writer found many errors in student recount text
and then the writer makes the classifying of the student’s errors on grammatical
aspects. According that category of grammatical Error classification by Betty
Schrampfer Azar there are 14 categories of error. So, the writer only focuses 14
categories on grammatical errors which made by students, they are:
1. Singular plural
2. Word Form
3. Word choice
4. Verb tense
5. Add a word
6. Omit a Word
7. Word order
8. Spelling
9. Article
10. Capitalization
11. Run on sentence
13. Meaning not clear
14. Incomplete sentence
The following table is the analysis of the student error in English recount
text, they are:
Table 4.1
The analysis of the student error in English recount text
Students’ number Types of error Total of error
1 Capitalization
Singular plural
8 Singular plural
20 Add a word
B. Analysis of data
On preceding explanation, the data are taken from the students answer
sheet. The writer classifies the students’ error in writing recount texts and the
writer found fourteen aspects of error of the use in the writing recount texts. It
marked the sentences containing errors by Singular plural, Word Form, Word
choice, Verb tense, Add a word, Omit a Word, Word order, Spelling, Article,
Capitalization, Run on sentence, Punctuation, Meaning not clear and Incomplete
From the table above, it could be described that the minimum errors made
by students number 8 with 2 error or 0.4 % while the maximum errors made the
students number 1 with 37 errors or 8.3%. In addition, based on the description of
the errors above, the writer found that there are 442 errors made by the Twelfth
Grade of MA Nurul Falah Serpong in writing recount texts.
To make it clearer, the writer did not only mention the errors made by the
students, but she also included the cause of error that may become the factor of
students’ error. Here is the explanation of the causes of errors described in the
table below: 14
1 3 4 5 - 4 - 3 - - 1 2 1 - 24 5.4%
15
2 - 3 5 2 - - - - 1 2 - - 15 3.3%
16
1 - 1 9 2 1 - 1 - - 4 4 1 - 24 5.4% 17
6 - 6 6 2 2 - 1 - - 2 3 5 1 34 7.6%
18 8
- 1 8 2 1 - - - - 3 4 2 - 29 6.5%
19
3 1 4 5 4 1 1 - - - 2 2 2 - 25 5.6%
20
3 2 2 2 1 2 1 2 - - 1 1 1 - 18 4 %
21 2
1 3 4 2 - 1 1 1 - 1 4 - - 19 4.3%
T
o
ta
l
55 10 75 97 23 24 21 19 3 2 30 58 21 4 442
Table 4.3
Table of Number of Causes of Errors Explanation
No. Causes of Errors Number of The Causes Percentage of Errors
1. Intra-lingual
Transfer 112 53.58 %
2. Inter-lingual
Transfer 81 38.75 %
3. Communication
Strategies 6 2.87 %
4. Context of Learning 10 4.78 %
Total 209 100 %
Due to the table 3.4, Intralingual transfer 112 times behind the student’s
errors or 53.58 %. The students might attempt to derive the rules before the data
to which has been concerned by the students gradually and it may lead to the false
hypothesis related to neither their native language nor the target language. Then,
Interlingual transfer may become a cause of error as 81 times or 38.75 %. This is
when the student might be influenced by their mother tongue in terms of pattern,
systems of rules. And then, context of learning found in their writing as 10 times
or 4.78 % because the teacher and the text in the test given may lead them either
to build faulty hypotheses about the language or to write an inappropriate word or
sentence. The last, Communication strategies found cause of error as 6 times or
2.87 % because the student often use production strategies in order to get their
messages across, but they still make error in these techniques.
C. Interpretation of Data
The final step is to explain the findings to analyze data. After categorized
the errors based on the types of error. The writer distributes the types of error. In
Table 4.4
Percentages of Types of Error
No. Category Frequency of
errors
Percentage of errors
1. Singular plural 55 12.4%
2. Word Form 10 2.26%
3. Word choice 75 16.9%
4. Verb tense 97 21.9 %
5. Add a word 23 5.2 %
6. Omit a Word 24 5.4 %
7. Word order 21 4.7 %
8. Spelling 16 3.6 %
9. Article 3 0.6 %
10. Capitalization 2 0.4 %
11. Run on sentence 30 6.7 %
12. Punctuation 58 13.1 %
13. Meaning not clear 21 4.7%
14. Incomplete sentence 4 0.9 %
Total N = 442 100 %
In the table 4.3 showed that from the tables above, the first most of
students make error in the item of verb tense 21.9 %, with those frequencies:
The frequency of the students’ error in Singular plural is 55 errors or 12.4%
The frequency of the students’ error in Word Form is 10 errors or 2.26%
The frequency of the students’ error in Word choice is 75 errors or 16.9%
The frequency of the students’ error in Verb tense is 97errors or 21.9 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Omit a Word is 24 errors or 5.4 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Word order is 21 errors or 4.7 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Spelling is 16 errors or 3.6 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Article is 3 errors or 0.6 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Capitalization is 2 errors or 0.4 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Run on sentence is 30 errors or 6.7 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Punctuation is 58 errors or 13.1 %
The frequency of the students’ error in Meaning not clear is 21errors or 4.7%
The frequency of the students’ error in Incomplete sentence is 4 errors or 0.9 %
After analyzing the data, the writer will interpret the errors that student
made. Based on the data, the highest frequency of error 27.2 % is Verb tense. The
table and the statement above show of each type of error. Then the common errors
of grammatical aspects that the twelfth students of MA Nurul Falah Serpong make
in recount paragraph are Verb tense with the total errors is as much as 97errors or
21.9 %. The second rate is Word choice with 75 errors or 16.9%. The third rate
Punctuation with 58 errors or 13.1%. And the minimum error is Article with 3
errors or 0.6%. The students make such errors because of the influence or
linguistic mother tongue and their Indonesian logical thinking. They thought in
Indonesian way when they wrote in English. However, when they produced the
new language data in their mind, it also produces a new rules, so they often over
generalize about their second language rules. It means the teacher should aware
that intra-lingual transfer is one the sources of error that must be recognized in the
second language learning.
Besides, the causes of error that the writer includes in are 4 types:
Intralingual transfer (112 times or 53.58 %) when the students acquired the new
language, they have already saved the data about their first language which are
different in terms, pattern or system with the new language. Thus, their minds
might create a new rule at that time so they often over generalize about the new or
