26 e Feedback could guide the students to their learning independency which aims
at guiding the students to find their mistakes. Since the feedback is provided in the correct form, it is hoped that the students will not do the same mistakes again in
the future. Thus, teachers’ feedback could be the medium to the students’ self correction in the future.
5. Errors in Language Learning
This part deals with errors, which are usually committed by the learners in language learning process. There are three main points to be discussed in this part,
namely the definition of the term error, the causes of errors and the importance of studying errors.
a. Definition
Norish 1983: 7 gives an opinion that “an error is a systematic deviation from the accepted code, namely the systems of language: grammar, meaning, and
sound, that is when a learner has not learnt something and consistently ‘gets it wrong’.” According to Dulay, Burt and Krashen 1982: 139, the term error means
“the flawed side of learner speech or writing. It is part of conversation or composition that deviates from some selected norm of mature language
performance.” Corder 1967 in Dulay et al. 1982: 139 states that error means systematic deviations due to learners’ still-developing knowledge of the
second language rule system…. The term of errors will refer to any deviation from a selected norm of language performance, no matter what the
characteristics or causes of the deviation might be.
In other words, it could be concluded that errors are resulting from the lack of knowledge of the rules of the target language. Errors in this study refer to the
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27 students’ incorrect answers in the test which deviate from the rule of using
prepositions at, in, and on.
b. The Causes of Errors
Corder 1973: 228 states that basically there are three causes of errors. Those causes of errors are native of the mother tongue, the basis analysis and the
nature of teaching and learning materials. Another linguist, Brown 1987: 177- 180, states that there are three sources of errors, namely interlingual transfer,
intralingual transfer, and context of learning. 1.
Interlingual Transfer Brown 1987: 177 says that the beginning stages of learning a second
language are characterized by a good deal of interlingual transfer from the native language, or interference. In this case, the errors happen because the learners’ first
language interferes with the learners’ process of learning the second language. Since the rule or grammar of the target language is not familiar for the learners,
they employ the linguistic system of the language that they know well, which is their first language. Many of such errors are detectable in the learners’ speech,
especially in their beginning stages of learning a second language. 2.
Intralingual Transfer In intralingual transfer, the errors happen within the target language itself,
not from other languages. Intralingual transfer is a major factor in second
language learning. According to Brown 1987: 178, the early stages of a language learning are characterized by a predominance of interference
interlingual transfer, but when the learners have begun to acquire parts of the
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28 target language system, more intralingual transfer is manifested. The example of
negative intralingual transfer, or overgeneralization, is illustrated in such utterances as Do you can come to the party?
3. Context of Learning
In this case, the word context refers to the factors outside the learners. Therefore, it could be said that the teacher, the classroom situation, and the
learning materials could become the sources of error. The teacher could be the sources of error when he or she leads the learners to make faulty hypotheses about
the target language. This is what Richard 1971 in Brown 1987: 179 called “false concept.” “Students often make errors because of a misleading explanation
from the teacher, faulty presentation of a structure or word in a textbook, or even because of a pattern that was memorized but not properly contextualized” Brown,
1987: 179.
c. The Importance of Studying Errors
