Sistema Universitario Ana G. Méndez
Escuela de Estudios Profesionales-Programa Ahora
Universidad del Turabo, Gurabo
Research:
“Common Grammatical Error ESL Students Make”
Amy C Marty Santos
S00985560
Prof. Cynthia Garcia
English Grammar
ENGL 245
“Whether they are beginners, who are just starting to grasp the basics, or advanced
students who can speak quite fluently, ESL learners make grammar mistakes. That’s right. At
any level, any stage. Most repeat the same kind of mistake again and again, and if these
mistakes are not nipped in the bud, they will continue sprouting up. Although some mistakes
don’t affect our students’ ability to communicate, we should always strive for increased
accuracy.” (Pesce, 2007-2015) ESL learners, or ELL’s, often have a tough time with grammar
because they are not continuously exposed to the language since an early age. Some of the most
troublesome
areas
will
be
explained
in
greater
detail,
which
are
the
use
of
homonyms/homophones and cross language transfers.
First we need to define just what homonyms/homophones are. Homophones are words
that are pronounced alike yet have different spelling. As an example of this we can use: sailsale, night-knight, bare-bear. Homonyms include homophones and words that are spelled the
same but have different meanings. For example: bank – edge of a river vs. a financial institution,
bark – sound a dog makes vs. a layer of a tree.
Cross language Transfer can also be known as linguistic interference. It occurs when the
learner applies knowledge from one language, L1, to another, L2. Negative transfers are when
the transfer items are not the same in both languages. For example the use of the word
embarrassed for the word “embarazada” instead of pregnant. This can cause a very a very
awkward situation.
These two grammatical items can be equally troublesome for language learners. In general,
we can say that both can completely distort the meaning of a sentence with only one word.
Homophones can be especially confusing in writing. On the other hand, linguistic transfers can
alter both writing and speaking. As challenging as it seems at first, there is a light at the end of
the tunnel.
The most important thing in learning about these errors is finding out how to overcome them.
Building vocabulary is an excellent form of reducing errors. Constant exposure to the second
language can be very helpful. This can happen through music, TV, and movies just to name a
few. It is very important to be patient, as a second language learner or as an ESL teacher, since
excellence is not achieved overnight and it takes time. And always remember the golden
rule…Practice makes perfect!!!!
References:
Brians, P. (2013, November). Common Errors in English Usage. (3rd Edition). Washington State
University,
WA.
Retrieved
http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html
March
19,
2015,
from
EnchantedLearning.com. (2002-2015). Homophones/Homonyms. Retrieved March 18, 2015,
from Enchanted Learning: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/english/homonyms/
Folse, K. (2009, October). Why K-12 Techers Need To Know AbouT ESL Grammar Issues.
Volume 6, Issue 3-4. University of Central Florida, FL: TESOL International Association.
Retrieved March 18, 2015, from http://www.tesol.org/read-and-publish/journals/otherserial-publications/compleat-links/compleat-links-volume-6-issue-3-4-(october2009)/why-k-12-teachers-need-to-know-about-esl-grammar-issues
Pesce, C. (2007-2015). 10 Biggest ESL Grammar Mistakes and How to Keep Your Students from
Making
Them.
Retrieved
March
18,
2015,
from
BusyTeacher.org:
http://busyteacher.org/18253-10-biggest-esl-grammar-mistakes-students-make.html