Types and Sources of Jordanian EFL Students’ Errors in Writing: A Study of Error Analysis

Abstract

This paper examined the types and sources of Jordanian EFL students’ errors in writing in 15 written texts by EFL students at Al Mazar Directorate of Education in Southern Jordan. The conceptual framework that underpins the study comprises theoretical and empirical studies on students’ writing errors in lower education and approaches to teaching writing to EFL learners. The mixed-mode study used two research instruments; written tasks and semi-structured interviews. The qualitative and quantitative data obtained from the written essays were analyzed using Corder’s (1976) framework of error analysis. The qualitative data achieved from the semi-structured interviews were analyzed by looking at emergent themes. The findings indicated that four types of errors occurred in their essays. The most frequently occurring type of error is omission, which showed 150 times (42.97%), selection 105 times, addition 63 times (18.05%), and ordering 31 times (8.88%). Together these errors affected the quality of the written essays and contributed to the overall unity of students’ writing. This research recommends that future research be conducted on this concern.

Keywords: Types, Sources, Jordanian, EFL students, Errors, Writing, Analysis

DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/102-01

Publication date: May30th 2024