published_or_final_version / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / Curriculum Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

This case study explored the revision strategies of four Malaysian native speakers of English when they composed aloud while writing an argumentative essay. Think aloud verbal protocols were analysed using the grounded theory approach in conjunction with written texts. The findings suggest that contextual factors influenced classroom practices. The contextual factors included a teacher who was not provided with adequate training, administrative policies which did not provide support for the development of writers based on their abilities, writing instruction which viewed revision as a process of error correction and public assessment practices which were non-transparent. These classroom practices influenced the participants� beliefs about revision. These beliefs affected the quality of their essays as judged by Malaysian public examiners. Additionally, the findings suggest a mismatch between classroom instruction and public examination. Suggestions are made to address these concerns by considering the theoretical underpinnings of the cognitive process, socio-cultural and community of practice models of writing and learning. These include instruction on revision strategies, considering alternative assessment practices, providing formative feedback, ability streaming, focussing on critical reading skills and providing adequate support to the teacher.

This study investigates error fossilisation in the written English of Xhosa - speaking students. It is hypothesised that there is no statistically significant difference in the language errors of two groups of Grade 10 and Grade 12 students. Two randomly selected groups of 30 Grade 10 and 30 Grade 12 students in a rural senior secondary school in the Eastern Cape province were required to write two essays, of which the first two hundred words of each essay were marked. A frequency count of errors was done and comparisons were made. The findings indicate that the Grade 12s consistently made fewer errors. However, the difference is only statistically significant in the case of prepositions and concord, and is insignificant in tenses, pronouns and articles. The findings also show evidence of fossilisation given the persistence of some of the errors. Certain features in the student's language were not eradicated by the additional two years exposure to English. / English Studies / M.A. (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

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No description available.

This study analyses the causes of error in the written english of black senior secondary pupils and teacher trainees. Using Error Analysis and Contrastive Analysis in a form known as Interference Analysis and covering a full range of grammatical, syntactical and lexical issues! erroneous items in English are compared with the same items in the learners' first language in order to isolate an identify such errors. Analysis of these errors shows which are due to direct interlingual transfer which are not completely attributable to direct transfer, and which are intralingual, the result of idiosyncratic language usage or merely mistakes rather than errors. While recognizing the degree to which Black learners' language habits have become fossilized and the extent to which standerdized errors form part of the English used by Bantu-speaking students, this study sets out to improve proficiency in English by explaining the the causes of error and by suggesting possible remedial approaches. / English Studies / M.A. (English)

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Language Studies / Master / Master of Arts

This study analyses the causes of error in the written english of black senior secondary pupils and teacher trainees. Using Error Analysis and Contrastive Analysis in a form known as Interference Analysis and covering a full range of grammatical, syntactical and lexical issues! erroneous items in English are compared with the same items in the learners' first language in order to isolate an identify such errors. Analysis of these errors shows which are due to direct interlingual transfer which are not completely attributable to direct transfer, and which are intralingual, the result of idiosyncratic language usage or merely mistakes rather than errors. While recognizing the degree to which Black learners' language habits have become fossilized and the extent to which standerdized errors form part of the English used by Bantu-speaking students, this study sets out to improve proficiency in English by explaining the the causes of error and by suggesting possible remedial approaches. / English Studies / M.A. (English)