Examining Algerian morphological errors in English writing Case of study: First year University Students.

Abstract

The present study investigates an issue related to word morphology. It is to identify and analyze the morphological errors students make in their writing. The study is based on the contrastive error analysis procedure. The research method used includes an evaluation test in the form of composition, a questionnaire administered to 36 students, and a checklist answered by teachers. The questionnaire contains questions related to students' writing experiences, their use of English, and their perceptions of their own writing abilities. The data collected from the three methods are analyzed to identify the types and frequency of morphological errors made by the students. The findings of the study reveal that Algerian students make a significant number of morphological errors in their writing, which can negatively impact their writing production. The most frequent errors made are those related to the inflection and derivation of words, the use of articles, and prepositions. These errors are mostly related to students’ ignorance of the English rules restrictions and thus need to be deeply investigated by an important means namely error analysis. The study contributes to the body of knowledge on second language acquisition and provides a foundation for future research in the area of morphological errors in second language writing.