Analysis of Learner Errors Seeking the Requisite Cognitive Skills to Address Them.

Abstract

Analysis of errors (EA) in learner language in search of clues of language acquisition has been an interesting area of applied linguistics. Traditional EA approaches spot sources of learner errors in terms of interlingual and intralingual base that gave way for the language teachers to find remedial measures. This study endeavors to spot learner error sources in terms of a proposed phrase structure linguistic taxonomy aligned with pre-defined frames of requisite cognitive skills deemed for learners to construct phrase structures of the language devoid of errors. The error sources thus are captured along with such cognitive skills, and consequently remedial measures are proposed for each category of errors and their sources by prescribing linguistic content for the ESL input espoused with strategy of metacognitive nature. The errors are analyzed framing the study within the problem: what combination of linguistic and metacognitive strategy content can encourage metacognitive learning to enable learner language devoid of errors. A corpus of learner language composed by executing an exercise of composition nature among 45 Architecture undergraduates provides the data for EA. The EA has been able to convince the impact made by each basic phrase structure in contribution to surface errors. Verb phrase, noun phrase and diction associated errors lead the frequency line up convincing us the relevant cognitive skills to be empowered among learners to avoid further surfacing of errors. Qualitative analysis provides acute clues on learner experiments and cognitive functions employed within the learner cognition in second language acquisition (SLA) process. The cognitive skills based categorization of errors and such analysis of cognitive skills base makes the study easy to negotiate remedial measures required for addressing learner errors. The analysis confirmed the need for a thorough exposure of every basic phrase structure in a prospective input espoused with metacognitive strategy to address learner errors with varying emphasis at different cognitive skills.