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AN ANALYSIS OF INTERLANGUAGE SYSTEM:

GRAMMATICAL ERRORS PRODUCED BY INDONESIAN LEARNERS OF ENGLISH

ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM


TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION FACULTY
UNIVERSITY OF PALANGKA RAYA
2018
PREFACE

We express our deep gratitude to Almighty God for providing everything that we
required in completing this paper.

We are highly indebted to our Second Language Acquisition lecturer, Mr. Iwan
Fauzi, MA for his encouragement as well as for providing necessary information regarding this
analysis project. We would not have been possibly completed the paper entitled “An Analysis of
Interlanguage System: Grammatical Errors Produced By Indonesian Learners of English”
without his support.

Regardless of the imperfection contained in this paper, I hope this paper will be
useful for those who are interesting to know about this analysis.

Palangka Raya, April 2019

The Writers
Chapter 1: Introduction

The term ‘interlanguage’ was initially proposed by Larry Selinker stated that
interlanguage is a linguistic system that is used by the L2 learners and it is influenced by the L1
(mother tongue). For the first concept, interlanguage can be defined as “a half way house”
between L1 and L2. L1 can be said as a language source which contains the first material and
mix with the target language gradually. The result is new and different. It is neither L1 nor L2,
but something in between. Saville-Troike named interlanguage as ‘transfer’, meaning a transition
of prior knowledge from L1 to L2, as one of the processes that is involved in interlanguage
development. Further, she identifies two types of transfer: positive transfer and negative transfer.
Positive transfer occurs when an L1 structure or rule is used in an L2 utterance and that use is
appropriate or “correct” in the L2. Meanwhile, negative transfer occurs when an L1 structure or
rule is used in an L2 utterance and that use is inappropriate and considered an “error”. In this
process of transfer, the aspects of language involved are vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar,
and all other aspects of language structure and use.
There are five central processes that exist in second language learning: language transfer
is some of the rules in the interlanguage system which may be the result of transfer from the
learners’ first language. The learners use their mother tongue to create their own language
system. This is not an error but the process that must be passed by the learners when they learn
the second language, for example: “Today was really tired.” In the second process, transfer of
training is some of the interlanguage components system caused by transfer of specific elements
through which the learners is taught in the second language. In the third process, strategies of
second language learning is some of the rules in the learners’ interlanguage that may be the
result from the application of language learning strategies as a tendency on the part of the
learners in order to reduce the TL to a simpler system. In the next process, strategies of second
language communication is an interlanguage system rules which may also be the result of
strategies employed by the learners in their attempt to communicate with native speakers of the
target language. At the last process, Overgeneralization is some of the rules of the interlanguage
system that may be the result of overgeneralization of specific rules and features of the target
language. For instance, the learners can say “I goed home” to overgeneralize English rules by
adding –ed at the end of verb to express the past form. This error happened because of learning
strategies.
Several researchers pointed out that the language of L2 learners is systematic which leads to
rule-governed behavior. Therefore, interlanguage grammars are seen like the other grammar,
including Universal Grammar (UG). UG is a set of device of grammar that can ‘detect’ the
general principles of any language grammars, can ‘predict’ the acceptable grammar without prior
knowledge about it, and to feel the correctness of a structure. It is “the system of principles,
conditions, and rules that are elements or properties of all human languages. The essence of
human language.” There are some characteristics of interlanguage Systematic, namely Dynamic
Variable, and Reduced System.
Chapter 2: The Problems

The topic that will be discussed in reference to both articles as the sources is the description of
grammatical errors produced by Indonesian learners of English as the result of Interlanguage
system. Based on the topic, the writers find several problems that will be discussed in the
following chapter. The following problems are as follows:
 The List of Grammatical Errors in Interlanguage System
 How the students’ native Language (Indonesian) influences the students’ interlanguage
system
 How the target language (English) influences students’ native language (Indonesian) into
students’ Interlanguage system
Chapter 3: Result and Discussion

Based on the analysis of the two articles, the writers describe the problems comprehensively in
this section. This section comprises of the explanation of the three problems, including: the list
of grammatical errors in interlanguage, the influence of students’ native Language (Indonesian)
into the students’ interlanguage system, and the influence of the target language (English) into
students’ Interlanguage system.

1. The List of Grammatical Errors in Interlanguage System

According to the case study of an Indonesian learner of English by Widya Ratna


Kusumaningrum, the major grammatical errors found in the study are possessive pronouns, verb
tenses, and articles.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns demonstrate ownership. Possessive pronouns show ownership of a


person, place, or thing. Because they are pronouns, a noun must be used before a possessive
pronoun is used. Here are the examples of The Non Native English Speakers utterances
containing ‘His’ and ‘Her’ errors:

1. The [correction: his] right hand is holding the bird, his left hand is holding
his daughter, and his wife is holding his other hand.

2. She yawned and automatically went to the table when she saw his
[correction: her] dad bags are prepared

3. His wife covers his [correction: her] head as well to protect her from the
very rude winter outside.

The errors in sentences above explain that NNES slipped his tongue when he dealt with
possessive pronouns of his and her rather than their and its. He wrongly uttered ‘his’ towards her,
as well as her towards his. The reasonable argument to explain this fact was dealing with the
background language that NNES has, Indonesian language. In Indonesian, the possessive
pronouns of his and her are used interchangeable by exercising “–nya”. In order to utter her head
(sentence 2), the NNES will say kepala (head) + nya (her), “kepalanya”. In the same way, the
NNES may articulate “kepalanya” to say “his head”. This may affect the oral production of the
NNES, himself. However, a question may rise up. Why does he make more errors dealing with
the application of her rather than his? As the data shows above, the NNES produced 4 errors out
of 15 utterances dealing with the use of her and 3 errors out of 92 utterances on the use of his. In
other words, the inaccuracy of the use of her was about 26.67% and his was about 3.26%. This
data leads to the argument that the NNES understands that English in term of possessive
pronouns is different with Indonesian, where English grammar distinguishes “-nya” by gender,
his or her. With this understanding, the NNES started to focus on the male character and
brainstorm any linguistic system relate to this gender. Thus, when the NNES started narrating
story, he tended to use the correct possessive pronouns of his. He, then, might subconsciously
overgeneralize the patterns that lead him to focus on his rather than her. Once, two supporting
characters (wife and daughter) with different gender were pictured in the story, the NNES started
to get confused and overgeneralize his towards her. Thus, the NNES will say his more than her.

Verb Tenses

Verb tenses are the tenses of a verb that tells you when a person did something or which
something existed or happened. In English, there are three main tenses: the present, the past, and
the future. Verb tenses perform basic role in English. In ESL/EFL context, from the very
beginning, students learn the forms of the verb tenses will change based on timeline whether
past, present and future. Alike with the first sub-heading, verb tenses lead many NNES to make
mistakes. This case also happened to the NNES subject where he uttered error verb tense.
1. Shifting of verb tenses (present- 1. It was 10 a.m. says [correction: said] the old
past/past-present) clock –old wooden clock on the table.
2. They walk [correction: walked] along the city’s
alley where everything became so clear.
3. His daughter looked up and wish [correction:
wished].

2. Wrong forms of past simple 1. Shan’s daughter was awaken [correction: was
awakened] by the sunshine.
2. They still not [correction: did not] talk each
other.

3. Pronouns / singular nouns without 1. He …. make [correction: makes] sure the bag is
being followed by singular verbs. in tack.
2. The only thing that connect [correction:
connects] him to the very nature.
3. The image of event that are [correction: is]
coming from the future. There is [correction: are]
only low class workers on board of that ship.

Articles
An article is a word used before a noun that indicates whether or not the reference is a
specific entity or entities or an unspecific one. Article has its role where it determines the definite
and indefinite. Although it is not that difficult to exercise articles such as a, the, some, and an,
the NNES still articulated errors that can be labeled into three categories: (1) add articles, (2)
omit them, and (3) change into another articles.
add articles 1. [correction: + the] tea is ready.
(+) 2. Among them is [correction: + a] very young family of two men and a
very young women.
3. Probably something of [correction: +a] size of a [correction: #the]
Titanic.
omit articles 1. Folded very neatly and carefully tight with a catgut. [correction: - a].
(-) 2. With a [correction: - a] very unique body features.
change articles 1. Shan just finished making that [correction: # a] folded plastic bird –
into another folded paper bird.
articles 2. Shan could not see anything but a [correction: # the] wide blue sea
(#) and a [correction: # the] wide blue sky.
3. But all of the [correction: # a] sudden a very loud sound came from
his bag.

2. The Influence of Students’ Native Language (Indonesian) into the Students’


Interlanguage System

The learners will frequently encounter communication problems caused by a lack


of linguistic resources. Being so, the learners’ mother tongue system may interference the
acquiring of the target language into learners’ developing second language system. The influence
of Indonesian language into the students’ Interlanguage system is divided into two categories,
namely morphological level and syntactic level. Based on the case study of interlanguage system
of Junior High School students of SMPN 2 Surakarta conducted by Asep Shofian, the influence
of Indonesian language into the Students’ Interlanguage System are as follows:

Morphological Literal This is the case where the We make palace sand in the
Level Translation from students are supposed to beach.
Indonesia Word convey certain meanings NL: Istana pasir
beyond their vocabulary
mastery. To cope with
this problem, they try to
make use of whatever
relevant prior knowledge
they have for those tasks.
Mother Tongue Mother Tongue Switch is (1)We watch wayang kulit at
Switch very often when learners Sri Wedari Solo.
who do not understand (2)The dalang is Ki Enthus
the English words will Sudarsono.
use Indonesian words,
because somehow they
are unable to find them in
the dictionary or they are
already just the way they
are. When switching
from English into
Indonesian, the students
use full replacement of
Indonesian words
Literal In this case, they selected (1) I breakfast with fried rice
Translation the wrong form of word. and tea.
Which Results The influence of the NL: makan pagi
Wrong Selection native language seems (2) I motorcycle to school
of Word Form control their erroneous in everyday.
creating such systematic NL: naik motor
false. They seem to be
confused in using the
verb form of English
words.
Syntactic Using Indonesian This is the problem (1) Andi is my classmate
Level Structure in Noun which often occurs when new.
Phrase students are trying to NL: teman sekelas baru
transfer the word (2) My novel favorite is
meaning Harry Potter.
NL: novel favorit
Simplified In English, the negation (1) I don’t like mathematics
Negation sentence cannot be as because not understand.
simple as in Indonesian. NL: tidak faham
Here, students have (2) I don’t like English
conduct negation because not understand the
sentences in the form of teacher.
simplification because of NL: tidak faham
the interference of their
native language, Bahasa
Indonesia.

The Use of This is what happens to (1) In the performance we


Indonesian the students’ works; the dancing during singing.
Sentence Pattern students often translate NL: Dalam penampilan kami
the sentence literally. menari sambil bernyanyi.
(2) We chat together at the
way to jogjakarta.
NL: Kami ngobrol bersama
di perjalanan ke Jogja.

3. The Influence of the Target Language (English) into the Students’ Interlanguage System
Second language also gives crucial to students learning English. It could cause students’
interlanguage system. “Intralingual transfer is the negative of items within the target language or
put another way, the incorrect generalization of rules within the target language” (Brown,
2000:224). The negative items produced by learners do not reflect the structure of their first
language. It is an intervention from second language which they are learning.

Morphological False friend False friends are pairs of (1) We join organization such
Level (similar in words or phrases in two like sports and pramuka, and
meaning) languages that look or music
sound similar, but differ TL: such as
significantly in meaning.

Addition of Learners have problem in He the ranked first in my


article using a certain article class.
often add the article in TL: ranked
their sentence. The IL
system is caused by this
case often experienced
by students’ learning
second language. So the
students’ interlanguage
system was influence by
the target language
system in using article.

Wrong choice of English has a greater (1) We practice valley ball in


preposition number of prepositions Monday and Thursday.
compared with TL: on
Indonesian. This is (2) I always get up early at
obviously seen in the morning.
Indonesian preposition di TL: in
indicating place which
can serve as equivalent
of several prepositions in
English: at, in, on.
Indonesian preposition
dengan can serve as an
equivalent of English
preposition by and with.
As a result the students
used wrong preposition
in their interlanguage
system.

Wrong Selection They are actually not My mother asks we to boil


of Pronoun quite problematic but the water and to make hot tea.
students were still TL: us
confused in using them.
The result is that they
used English pronoun
incorrectly. That is to say
the students’
interlanguage system
was influenced by the
target language (English
Omission of –s in Learners make (1) We have a lot of
plural form. permeable sentences in experience in Jogja.
form of omission or TL: experiences
addition; in this case they (2) We took many picture in
do omission of –s in there to.
plural form. Learners TL: pictures
may do not understand
the function of –s in
plural form that leads
them to confuse in
applying it. So that they
omit –s signed as the
plural form in their
sentences.

The Use of Combining sentences (1) I like English and it is


Incorrect seems to be one of the fun.
Conjunction grammatical problems TL: because
faced by the students. (2) Indah is my friend also
The problem often lies my neighbor.
on what conjunction can TL: and
be used to connect
certain sentences and less
frequently on whether or
not the sentence needs a
conjunction. The data
show that the students’
interlanguage system
was influenced by the
target language (English)
especially in using
conjuction.

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