Naif Althobaiti 
(Department of Foreign Languages, Taif University, Saudi Arabia)

 

 

Abstract: This exploratory study is a part of a larger project which explores and investigates Saudi EFL tertiary students’ deficiency in writing. Specifically, it investigates students’ written errors, their views, teachers’ views, and teachers’ practices. The purpose is to recommend and design an appropriate remedial course. Also, it aims to obtain a deeper understanding of written errors and to prescribe an appropriate remedy. As a first step to achieve these aims, the current study investigates the students’ writing errors in the Foreign Language Department (FLD) at Taif University. The participants in the study are 60 students at two levels of proficiency: advanced students (N = 30) and beginner students (N = 30). Both groups of students were asked to write about six selected topics throughout the semester. Having collected the data, the students’ writings were coded and analyzed according to the linguistic and surface structure taxonomies. The results revealed that both groups showed numerous errors in their writings. Some types of errors were shared, whereas others were completely different types of errors and not shared. Grammatical errors were the most frequent in both groups’ productions. Also, both groups reported rather mixed results with regard to written errors and their sources. This showed that written errors are not predictable, even within the same context. The current study paves the way for future studies in the sense that it provides greater insight for the researcher to question the teachers’ and students’ views and preferences for error correction strategies and practices.

 

 

Key words: EFL writing, tertiary education, error correction, error types, Saudi Arabia, error analysis,
surface structure taxonomy