AN ERROR ANALYSIS ON LAB REPORTS WRITTEN BY UTM CIVIL ENGINEERING STUDENTS

AIFAA BINTI ARIFF

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Bachelor of Science and Education (TESL)

Faculty of Education Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

April, 2006

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Dedicated to

My beloved parents;

My lovely brother and sisters;

And all the beautiful people around me…

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Allah S.W.T

for His blessings in making it possible for me to complete this thesis. Without His help,

it would have been impossible for me to endure this challenge.

I would also like to express my most sincere gratitude and appreciation to my

supervisor, Puan Khairuzilah Khalil for her guidance, advice and endless support

throughout the process of completing this study.

My sincere thanks to Puan Rohayah Kahar, Puan Mahani Stapa, and also PM

Dr. Fara Adlina for their encouraging comments and advices in making this study a

success.

Finally, I would like to express my love and gratitude to my family especially

my beloved parents, Ariff and Norizati, my wonderful brother, Afnan, and my two

beautiful sisters, Izyan and Izlin for their undying love and support. My deepest love

and appreciation to Shakir for his emotional support and last but not least, to all my

wonderful course mates, who I love and will deeply miss, thank you all so much. It’s

been a beautiful five-year ride.

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ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to identify the types of errors and the frequency of its

occurrence in lab reports written by UTM Civil Engineering students. It also aims to

find ways and suggestions in reducing the amount of errors made by the students in

their writings. A total of 10 lab reports were collected from ten civil engineering

students taking the subject SAB 2012 (Highway Lab) as the samples in this study. Apart

from that, 4 UTM lecturers from the Department of Modern Language teaching ESP

courses were also used as subjects for this study. An adapted checklist for error analysis

and questionnaires were used as instruments in this study. This study found that the

students tend to make more Intralingual errors due to faulty inferences of the rules

governing the English language compared to Interlingual errors, which is due to

negative L1 interference. Based on the findings, the researcher found several ways or

approaches most preferred by the ESP lecturers to reduce the amount of errors made by

the students in their written work.

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ABSTRAK

Tujuan kajian ini dilaksanakan adalah untuk mengenalpasti jenis-jenis kesalahan

dan kekerapan bagi setiap kesalahan tersebut di dalam laporan makmal yang ditulis oleh

pelajar-pelajar jurusan Kejuruteraan Awam, UTM. Ia juga bertujuan untuk mencari

langkah-langkah dan cadangan-cadangan dalam mengurangkan kadar jumlah kesalahan

yang dilakukan oleh pelajar-pelajar di dalam penulisan mereka. Sebanyak 10 laporan

makmal telah diperolehi daripada sepuluh pelajar-pelajar kejuruteraan awam yang

mengikuti subjek SAB 2012 (Makmal Jalanraya) sebagai sampel dalam kajian ini.

Selain dari itu, 4 orang pensyarah-pensyarah UTM daripada Jabatan Bahasa Moden

yang mengajar kursus ESP juga dipilih untuk dijadikan subjek dalam kajian ini. Satu

senarai analisa kesalahan yang telah diadaptasikan dan juga borang soal selidik telah

digunakan sebagai instrumen dalam kajian ini. Kajian ini mendapati bahawa pelajar-

pelajar melakukan lebih banyak kesalahan-kesalahan ‘Intralingual’ disebabkan

kesilapan dalam menyimpulkan peraturan yang terdapat dalam Bahasa Inggeris

berbanding dengan kesalah-kesalahan ‘Interlingual’ iaitu disebabkan oleh gangguan

negatif L1. Berdasarkan dapatan, penyelidik telah memperoleh beberapa langkah-

langkah atau kaedah yang paling dirasakan sesuai oleh pensyarah-pensyarah ESP untuk

mengurangkan kadar kesalahan yang dilakukan oleh pelajar-pelajar didalam penulisan

mereka.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

Supervisor’s Approval

Title Page

Student’s Declaration ii

Dedication iii

Acknowledgement iv

Abstract v

Abstrak vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables xi

List of Figures xii

List of Abbreviations xiii

List of Appendices xiv

1 INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction 1

1.1 Background of the Study 2

1.2 Statement of Problem 4

1.3 Purpose and Objective of the Study 5

1.4 Research Questions 6

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1.5 Significance of the Study 6

1.6 Scope of the Study 7

1.7 Definition of Terms 8

1.7.1 Technical Writing 8

1.7.2 Lab Reports 9

1.7.3 Errors 9

1.7.4 Error Analysis 9

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction 11

2.1 Writing 11

2.1.1 Writing vs. Speaking 12

2.1.2 Differences between L1 and L2 Writing 13

2.2 Errors

2.2.1 Errors and Mistakes 14

2.2.2 Interlingual and Intralingual Errors 15

2.2.3 Errors in Writing 16

2.3 The Study of Errors

2.3.1 Error Analysis 17

2.4 Technical Reports 18

2.4.1 Lab Reports 18

2.5 Previous Studies and Researches 19

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3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.0 Introduction 24

3.1 Design of the Study 24

3.2 Subjects and Samples

3.2.1 Subjects 25

3.2.2 Samples 26

3.2.3 Technique of Sampling 26

3.3 Selection of Instrument

3.3.1 Checklist 27

3.3.2 Questionnaire 28

3.4 Procedure of the Study 28

3.5 Data Analysis 29

3.6 Variables 30

3.7 Validity 30

4 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

4.0 Introduction 31

4.1 Findings 31

4.2 Interlingual Errors 33

4.2.1 Omission of Verb to-be 35

4.2.2 Omission of Articles 36

4.2.3 Omission of Pronominal 37

4.2.4 Vocabulary 38

4.3 Intralingual Errors 39

4.3.1 Overapplication of –ing 41

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4.3.2 Overapplication of Plural –s 42

4.3.3 Tenses 43

4.3.4 Subject-verb Agreement 44

4.4 Interlingual Errors vs. Intralingual Errors 45

4.5 Ways in Reducing Errors Made by Students 46

4.6 Discussion

4.6.1 Types of Errors in the Lab Reports 49

4.6.2 Frequency of Errors Occurring in the

Lab Reports 50

4.6.3 Ways and Suggestions to Reduce Errors 51

4.7 Conclusion 53

5 CONCLUSION

5.0 Summary of the Study 54

5.1 Limitation of the Study 56

5.2 Pedagogical Implications 57

5.3 Suggestions for Further Studies 58

REFERENCES 59

Appendices A-B 62-63

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LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NUM. TOPIC PAGE

4.1 Types and Percentage of Errors Identified 32

4.2 Classification and Distribution of Interlingual Errors 33

4.3 Examples of Errors in the Omission of Verb to-be 35

4.4 Examples of Errors in the Omission of Articles 36

4.5 Examples of Errors in the Omission of Pronominal 37

4.6 Examples of Errors of Vocabulary 38

4.7 Classification and Distribution of Intralingual Errors 39

4.8 Examples of Errors in the Overapplication of –ing 41

4.9 Examples of Errors in the Overapplication of Plural –s 42

4.10 Examples of errors of Tenses 43

4.11 Examples of Errors of Subject-verb Agreement 44

4.12 Lecturers’ Preferred Ways in Reducing Errors

Made by Students 47

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LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURE NUM. TOPIC PAGE

4.1 Percentage of Interlingual Errors 34

4.2 Percentage of Intralingual Errors 40

4.3 Percentage of Interlingual and Intralingual Errors 46

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

1. L1 - First Language (Mother Tongue)

2. L2 - Second Language (in this context, English)

3. EFL - English as a Foreign Language

4. ESP - English for Specific Purposes

5. ECE - English for Civil Engineering

6. UTM - Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

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LIST OF APPENDICES

APPENDIX TITLE PAGE

A Checklist for Error Analysis 62

B Questionnaire 63

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

Communication is at the core of our existence. According to Merriam-Webster

Online (2005) communication is a process by which information is exchanged between

individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behavior. Communication

is like breathing which means that it is a requirement for life. And just like breathing, it

is unavoidable.

Communication is not unique to human. Humans communicate in order to

make sense out of the world and sharing that sense with others. In order to fulfill this

objective, humans use languages as a means of conveying messages. Therefore, it is

very important for students to be able to acquire a language or languages that is eminent

and could be used extensively in conveying and interpreting messages.

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There are many ways of conveying messages through the use of language; the

simplest examples are oral and writing. However, the focus of this study is on written

communication.

1.1 Background of the Study

Writing is considered as one of the most important mediums in communication.

We communicate our message through this written form of discourse with the hope that

our intended audience will get the message that is being conveyed. However, there is a

difference between written and oral communication which may be simple but profound.

In spoken conversations with others, we make sense of the dialogue in a complex back-

and-forth process of negotiation of meaning between speakers. In written texts, this

back-and-forth negotiation is not possible; (Penman, 1998). Our message is written and

then it is read. Since there is no possibility of negotiating meaning of written

documents, the inevitable problems of misunderstandings are exacerbated (Penman,

1998).

In order to ensure that our message is received or interpreted correctly by the

intended audience, we have to make sure that we have the ability to write well. The

ability to write well however is not a naturally acquired skill because humans are not

naturally born to write. It is usually learned or culturally transmitted as a set of

practices in formal instructional settings or any other environment (Myles, 2002). It

must be practiced and learned through experience. It is undoubtedly the act of

composing, though, which can create problems for students, especially for those writing

in a second language (L2) in academic contexts (Myles, 2002). This is probably

because academic writing requires a conscious effort on the students’ part to be able to

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compose, develop and analyze ideas. Compared to the students writing in their native

language (L1), however, students writing in their L2 have to acquire proficiency in the

use of the language as well as writing strategies, techniques and skills (Myles, 2002).

In fact, university students nowadays who are majoring in engineering courses

such as electrical, mechanical, and civil and also those who are majoring in science

disciplines namely biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics are required to do a

number of academic writing tasks particularly in L2. Academic writing here refers to a

genre or type of writing that is factual and informational. One of the examples of

academic writing is technical report writing. Technical report writing here falls into

several different types to be considered for example technical background report,

feasibility, evaluation, recommendation reports, primary research reports, business

plans, etc (Nithya, 2005).

The focus of this study is on primary research reports. According to Nithya

(2005), primary research report is a kind of report that presents original research data -

no matter whether that data was generated in a laboratory or out in the "field’. This type

of research is also known as ‘lab report’. In this type of report, data is presented and

conclusions are drawn about it. Apart from that, explanations on the methodology,

descriptions about the equipments and facilities used, and some background information

on the problem are also given. This study focuses its attention on lab reports because

according to Braine (1988), lab reports are the most frequent type of writing done by

students from the engineering and science disciplines. Closer to home, the students

majoring in engineering and hard sciences courses in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

(UTM) constitute almost half of the student population and most of them are required to

write lab reports in English in some of the classes that they are taking.

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1.2 Statement of Problem

Writing tasks are sometimes considered difficult and stressful for some students

especially university students nowadays, particularly if they are required to write it in

L2. In UTM for example, some of its classes require the students especially those

majoring in hard science and engineering courses to come up with reports in English.

After going through a few samples of lab reports from the Civil Engineering faculty, it

seems that some of these students do have problems in their performance and ability to

come up with good academic writing. This is because these students tend to focus more

on content and not on forms and language structures when writing lab reports and this

consequently results in poor quality report papers.

Since the students majoring in engineering and hard sciences courses are

sometimes required to write technical reports in English, these students have the

responsibility to come up with good reports, not just in terms of content but also

appropriate language usage. However, these students face a lot of difficulties in writing

the report or coming up with a good one. The main reason is probably due to their lack

of knowledge of the rules governing the English language and also negative interference

from their L1.

Realizing the importance of producing engineers and hard sciences graduates

who are able to come up with better quality report papers, this study seeks to identify

whether the errors that the students frequently make are interlingual errors or

intralingual errors. This study also aims to analyze the rate of recurrence of these errors

in the students’ written work and seeks to find ways and suggestions on how to

overcome the problem.

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1.3 Purpose and Objective of the Study

The purpose of this study is to analyze the types of errors that normally occur in

the lab reports of UTM Civil Engineering students whether they are mostly interlingual

errors or intralingual errors.

This study also aims to analyze the frequency of errors that the students make in

the lab reports whether the errors made are mainly intralingual errors; errors that occur

because of the students’ level of proficiency and lack of knowledge on the grammatical

rules of the target language or whether they are mainly interlingual errors; errors that

occur due to the interference from the students’ L1. The types of errors might occur

differently in a technical report than in a normal essay or writing task.

Finally, this study seeks to find the most preferred ways and suggestions in

reducing the amount of errors that the students make in their writing task. Hopefully,

they will be able to produce better quality reports.

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1.4 Research Questions

Based on the purpose and objective of the study, this study attempts to find

answers to the following research questions:

1. What are the types of errors in the UTM Civil Engineering students’ lab reports

whether they are interlingual or intralingual?

2. Which of the errors are frequent in terms of its occurrence in the UTM Civil

Engineering students’ lab reports?

3. What are the most preferred ways and suggestions to reduce the amount of

errors that the students make?