Error Analysis and Implications on English Teaching

朱利琴

【Abstract】This paper analyzes the errors in English learning from the perspective of psycholinguistics， explains the reasons， and puts forward to the implications on foreign language teaching.

【Key words】error analysis； English teaching

People make language errors when they use mother language and second language. This paper tries to analyze the classification of students language errors and its causes， etc. with the hope of providing guidance for practical teaching.

1. Error Analysis

Error analysis refers to study and analyze the errors of second language learners to make teachers see students psychological states and thinking mode to find errors immediately and correct. Linguists believe that there will be different kinds of errors in different learning processes. Interlingual Errors： This kind of errors are caused by that learners transfer the linguistic and cultural habits of native language into the learning and applying of target language. The phenomenon of negative interlingual transfer in transfer theory refers to the errors， for example， some people cannot differentiate [n] and [l]； Intralingual Errors： caused by learns wrong inference towards target language in the process of language learning. They may be caused by the following aspects： overgeneralization， incomplete application of rules， simplification， etc. Communication Error： Language is a system so in language communication， cultural system where language exist is needed. Therefore， foreign language learning is the learning of linguistic knowledge and the formation of language habits.

2. Implications

2.1 Treating Errors Appropriately

Some people think errors are intolerant. Others believe errors are inevitable. According to EA theory， the appearance of learners language errors in learning process is a normal phenomenon and they are just problems in the course of progress.

2.2 Adopting Different Measures

1） Performance Errors and Competence Errors： “Performance errors” refers to the errors caused by learners fatigue， tension， etc. In dealing with this kind of errors， teachers could inform learners they make language errors and have learners find and correct. “Competence errors” refers to the speech of foreigner language learners that is different from that of native speakers. Hence， when competence errors appear， teachers should inform students where they are and why they appear. 2） Global Errors and Local Errors： Global errors refers to those that violate the structure of the sentence and influence the meaning of the whole sentence such as misuse or leakage of conjunction， etc. Local errors refers to those only affect the meaning a part of the sentence but they dont influence normal interaction. When there are local errors， teachers should tell learners where they are and indicate how to deal with them with the principle of not interrupting interaction randomly. When there are global errors， teachers adopt the strategy of dealing with competence errors. 3）Oral errors and written errors： In written language， students should be required to make fully use of mastered language system knowledge to supervise and correct output. If there are errors， teachers should differentiate the types and treat them appropriately. As for some errors， teachers could mark and let students correct by themselves. As for another errors especially those caused by that students hardly know certain rules or incomplete learning of certain rules， teachers do some appropriate explanation and correction. For oral errors， teachers should be tolerant. Particularly， when students attention is paid to the expression of ideas and the transference of meanings， dont interrupt them and correct the errors in language forms.

2.3 Observing Rules

Learners errors provide the evidence of how to learn or acquire language and show the used learning strategies and procedures. Therefore， the analysis and study of these errors may help teachers predict difficulties that students may encounter so teachers could know fairly well in teaching. Besides， the commonly existed errors are feedback for the effectiveness of teachers teaching materials and methods.

In English teaching， teachers should have an appropriate attitude toward learners language errors and treat them differently according to their characters.

References：

[1]BURT M.& KIPARSKY C.Global and Local Mistakes[C].New frontiers in second language learning.Mass： Newbury House：1975.

[2]GUI Shichun.Psycholinguistics[M].Shanghai： Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press，1985.