is basically a process that involves the making of errors. Fortunately, the learner could learn from making those errors.
Based on the statements above it shows that error analysis is a way to analyze errors that students make when they are in a process of the target language
learning, as information for teachers, in which they can determine what next step in preventing their students from the same errors and improving their teaching
effectiveness in language class.
1. Definition of Error
Learning a language is fundamentally a process that involves making mistakes or errors. The mistakes include vocabulary items, grammatical pattern,
and sound patterns as well. Errors in a foreign language teaching especially in English are the cases which are difficult to avoid. Jeremy Harmer stated, “Errors
are parts of the students’ inter-lingual that is the version of the language which a student has at any one stage of development”.
4
The fact that the students make errors and these errors can be observed and classified led to a surge of the study of
students’ errors can be analyzed.
5
Based on the explanation above, the writer assumes that the student may make an error when they learnt o
ther language. They can’t avoid making an error. Since they think that there are many differences grammatical form and they have a
lack competence in this foreign language. Hubbard states “Errors caused by lack of knowledge about the target
language English or by incorrect hypotheses about it; and mistakes caused by temporary lapses of memory, confusion, slips of the tongue and so on”.
6
James differentiates between errors and mistakes. He defines errors as a systematic mistakes due to lack of language competence while mistakes refer to
4
Jeremy Harmer, The Practice of Language Teaching, London: Longman Inc, 2001, p. 100.
5
Brown, op.cit, p. 259.
6
Peter Hubbard, A Training Course for TEFL, New York: Oxford University Press, 1983,p.134.
performance errors because of a random guess or slip. While errors cannot be self- corrected, mistakes can be self-corrected if the deviation is pointed out to the
speaker.
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Based on the explanations above the writer concludes that mistakes are failure to use language because of slip of the tongue, or spelling. The learner easily
corrects this failure since they conceptually understand the language system. On the other hand, errors are mistakes that the students make due to lack of competence.
They are not able to do self-correction because they do not know the concept.
2. Procedure of Analyzing Errors
In analyzing learners’ errors the researcher should do the procedures in conducting an error analysis. Ellis provides five steps which are originally proposed
by Corder.
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They are: collecting of a sample of learner language, identification of errors, description of errors, explanation of errors, and evaluation of errors.
a. Collecting of a Sample of Learner Language
To analyze an error, the researcher have to collect a sample of learner language provides the data first. The researcher needs to be aware that the nature of
the sample being researched may influence the nature and distribution of the errors observed. The nature and quantity of errors is likely to vary depending on whether
the data consist of natural, spontaneous language use or careful, elicited language use.
Ellis and Barkhuizen discuss three types of data collected from learners, one of which is learner reports. The following types of data were discussed
:
7
Brown, op cit, p. 217.
8
Rod Ellis, op cit, p. 46
