Lost in Translation: Grammatical Errors of Non-Native English Writers in First-Year Composition
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The document presents a study examining grammatical errors of non-native English writers in first-year composition courses, focusing on portfolios from ESL students. The analysis identifies the top five errors—word choice, missing commas, articles, tense shifts, and prepositions—highlighting differences between this study and prior research by Lunsford & Lunsford. It underscores the importance of understanding these errors for composition instructors and suggests a potential correlation between mistake frequency and revision efforts.
Lost in Translation: Grammatical Errors of Non-Native English Writers in First-Year Composition
- 1. Lost in Translation: Grammatical Errors of Non-Native English Writers in First-Year Composition Kristina Floyd Dawn Lombardi Tabitha Martin University of Akron Student Innovation Symposium April 11, 2013
- 2. The Students’ Writing 6 portfolios: Students from English as a Second Language (ESL) English Composition I classes All had the same instructor 4-5 essays in each portfolio 1-5 pages each Total of 28 essays; 67 pages
- 3. Students Student A – China Student B – Korea Student C – China Student D – ? ? Student E – China Student F – Saudi Arabia We were able to glean nationality information from the content of the papers; all identities were protected.
- 4. Methodology Replicated a study done by Lunsford & Lunsford: “‘Mistakes are a Fact of Life’: A National Comparative Study” Examine one essay from each portfolio (the reflective essay) closely Mark all errors Top 5 errors from sample set and apply to the remainder of essays
- 5. Reflective Essays Misplaced modifier Word Order Run-on Unclear Antecedent Comma Splice Capitalization Unnecessary Comma Mechanical Missing Word Unnecessary Word Wrong Word Noun Agreement Preposition Article problems Missing Comma Word Choice Wrong Tense 1 2 2 3 6 6 8 9 9 12 14 15 19 21 23 31 42 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
- 6. Top Five Errors 106 13% 206 26% Word Choice Tense Missing Comma 108 14% Article Prepositions 179 23% 185 24% 784 “Top-Five” Errors In 67 pages
- 7. Verb Tenses # 2 {of the Top 5} in our study (24%) “Shift in tense”: #12 in Lunsford study (3.8% of total errors) *…one’s professor will understands that. Differs from Lunsford study "Shift in tense" (often more of a function of lack of proofreading) Particular problem of ESL students Especially if L1 doesn't change verb for tense
- 8. Missing Commas # 3 in our study (23% of Top 5 errors) #2, #11, #13 in Lunsford study Lunsford study broke out separate categories for different reasons: Introductory element (2: 9.6% of total) Non-restrictive element (11: 3.8% of total) Compound sentence (13: 3.6% of total) Our examples correspond closely with the Lunsford study Indicates this is a common (larger than ESL) problem with FYC writers
- 9. Articles # 4 in our study (14% of Top 5 errors) Didn’t make the top 20 in Lunsford study *…Chinese is __ hardest language in the world... Generally not an issue for native speakers 2 “a/an” errors in 50-page sample of Lunsford study Problematic for ESL students Especially if L1 doesn't use articles (Chinese, Korean, etc.)
- 10. Prepositions # 5 in our study (13% of Top 5 errors) Didn’t make the top 20 in Lunsford study *Respecting society’s elders is a prime example in how Americans... If there were these kinds of errors in Lunsford, they were not significant enough to be mentioned. Not many other languages have as elaborate a preposition system as English Difficult for many students to “internalize” them
- 11. "Word Choice" # 1 in our study Not included as such in Lunsford study *…the capability to get a higher education… Lunsford study attributed many "wrong word" errors to computer spell-check and/or thesaurus use + lack of proofreading Some of ours could likely be thesaurus use Often, we found just awkward phrasing "Faulty sentence structure": students trying to write complex ideas Similar problems in our study But a number were surely a product of L2 issues
- 12. Comparison of the two studies Our study Lunsford study 1. Word Choice None, as such: “faulty sentence structure” is #10 2. Verb Tense “Unnecessary shift in verb tense”: #12 3. Missing Comma Various breakdowns: #2 - #11 - #13 4. Article problems (missing, unnecessary, or wrong one n/a 5. Prepositions (missing, unnecessary, or wrong one) n/a
- 13. Implications for Composition The number of non-native English speakers is increasing in American colleges/universities Many students are strong enough in English to be "mainstreamed“ It can be useful for comp instructors to know what kinds of errors tend to be L2-based Versus what errors students across the board make
- 14. Revision Correlation? We are exploring a possible correlation between frequency of mistakes and probable revision attempts This would support the idea that multiple drafts give students the chance to overcome/identify usage errors Time to focus on idea construction, before language editing Important for all students, not just ESL