ERROR AS A CATALYST FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Abstract

Errors have played a key role in the study of language pedagogy in general and second language learning in particular. Error occurrencein language learning is not to be seen as a discouraging event rather, teachers and learners should study errors in order to identify the areas that pose difficulty, for caution and remedial measures. Error is referred to as a systematic deviation from a selected norm or a set of forms; or a form or structure that a native speaker deems unacceptable. It is an indication of learners' stage in their target language development, that is, their level of mastery of the language. In other words, it is a breach of the acceptable code; a deviation from what is regarded as the norm or standard. However, scholars have seen errors as part of the investigation of the process of language learning. This study therefore examines the concept of error from the psycholinguistic view point to determine how the language could be taught by employing the errors committed by learners as a result of the influence of their native language and poor linguistic background. Formal classroom works by 100 level students of English in Lagos State University of Education, Nigeria, on an essay writing assignment by 50 students and oral composition by 10 groups, an essay per group, were observed, examined and analyzed for occurrences of errors at different levels of language description. The error treatment options by Corder (1973) was adopted to classify the errors identified. The errors recorded were mostly grammar errors, particularly, concord and tense errors, errors of omission of functional words, wrong use of functional words, lexical errors, orthographical/spelling errors, overgeneralization of rules and pronunciation errors. Most of these errors feature prominently in the written composition because the assignment was carried out in the formalclassroom setting with time duration, while the scripts for oral composition were prepared from home and presented orally in the class. As there has been a shift from preventing errors to learning from them, this trend has aroused the interest of scholars in identifying, analyzing and treating errors through various models of error analysis in order to create techniques for effective ESL learning. The study concludes that onus is now on teachers of English to ensure that learners are given enough encouragement for continued communication while using their errors as a means of effective teaching and learning of English. It is from this viewpoint that error is seen as a tool for better understanding of language structure and meaning.