Exploring EFL learners’ Linguistic Error and/or Mistakes: Causes, and Correction Techniques

Abstract

This study investigates the most common linguistic errors and/or mistakes made by learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It first explains the significance of the distinction between ‘errors’ and ‘mistakes’ as the distinction plays an instrumental role in treating and correcting them differently. It also highlights the causes behind errors and/or mistakes and proposes various correction techniques to address them. The study illustrates how intralingual and interlingual transfer factors are causes behind grammatical, lexical, pronunciation, and spelling errors and/or mistakes. In addition, the study aims at testing three hypotheses that have been put forward. It was concluded that there are no indications that grammar mistakes and errors are the categories that are most made due to ‘interlingual factors’. Also, it was shown that correction techniques need to be tailors according to the classroom settings because there are different elements involved. The study concludes that providing students with mnemonics can capacitate the students to develop their own ones. Furthermore, common causes of errors and mistakes elaborated in the study entail simplification, inadequate learning, overgeneralization, hypercorrection, and over-ambitious status, while the correction techniques used and presented were reformulation, echoing, hinting, reactive teaching, and metalinguistic feedback. Samples of errors and/or mistakes had been collected and thoroughly studied from classes of Kurdish learners of English Language at elementary levels of English Language courses from the Language and Translation Centre of University of Salahaddin.