The English Learners’ Repeated Errors

Discussing students’ obstacles in learning English can not be separated from how they make mistake in using the language. In correcting the mistake, some students are able to use their English capabilities to correct it by themselves, but it is not rarely that some students need teacher’s explanation to correct the mistake. One of the students’ mistake that make many English teachers feel curious is that why the students frequently make the repeated mistakes that they do it many times.

There are two sources of problem why the students often make same mistake in using English, either in written way or spoken way. These problems are apparently noticed from the students who do not yet have good English competencies. The first source of the problem that cause students make a mistake is that L1 ‘interference’. This problem frequently occurs to the students since they have a deep knowledge to their first language that interfere the process of learning English. When their first language and English comes together into their mind, they usually feel confused to produce it in English. One of the interference of mother tongue toward English is that deals with the sound of language. The Indonesian students must face a problem to pronounce or utter  the word or sentence of English. The problem occurs since in Indonesia language the sound of certain word uttered same with the written, but in English, the word pronounced is mostly different from the written word. Therefore, their mother tongue sound usually interfere the how they produce English sound. The L1 interference often occurs in the structure of English. Indonesian students often have trouble  with the position of an adjective that comes together. In Indonesia language the adjective comes after a noun described, but in English the adjective comes before a noun. For example, The students utter gajah besar into Elephant big rather than big Elephant.

Developmental errors is the second source  of students’ mistake in using English. Developmental errors is also called over-generalisation. This problem occurs since English has generality and exception. One of the examples of over-generalisation is that when the students used simple past or past participle verb in sentence. Since there are a lot of verbs that added with ed in simple past and past participle form, the students usually make over-generalisation that all verbs of English should be added by ed in simple past and past participle form. For example, They bringed, I goed  rather than They brought, I went. Another example of over-generalisition is that when the students learn comparative. They make on over-generalistion that the comparative adjectives are formed with more - . For example His score is more good than my score rather than the correct one his score is better than my score.

Making a mistake or error in using second language is part of the natural process of language learning. Every student must have at any one stage to develop their language competence. The role of English teacher on this case does not only shape their language competence continually, but they also should be able to provide positive feedback toward students’ mistake rather than telling their errors.