IDENTIFYING AND DESCRIBING ERRORS H.

Douglas Brown
“One of the common difficulties in understanding the
linguistic system of both first and second language
learners is the fact that such systems cannot be directly
observed. They must be inferred by means of analyzing
production and comprehension data”.

(BROWN, 2000, p. 220)

“What makes the task even thornier is the instability
of learners’ systems. Systems ate in a constante state
of flux as nem information flows in and, through the
process of subsumption, causes existing structures to
be revised”.

(BROWN, 2000, p. 200).

“Repeated observations of a learner will often reveal
apparently unpredictable or even contradictory data. In
undertaking the task of performance analysis, the
teacher and researcher are called upon to infer order
and logic in this unstable and variable system”.

(BROWN, 2000, p. 200).

STEPS IN THE PROCESS OF ERROR
ANALYSIS
1. IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF ERROR
Corder’s model:
“(...) any sentence uttered by the learner and subsequently transcribed can be
analyzed for idiosyncrasies”;
Overt X Covert erros:
Overtly erroneous utterances are unquestionably ungrammatical at the sentence
level;
Covertly erroneous utterances are grammatically well-formed at the sentence level
but are not interpretable within the context of communication.
In both overt and covert errors, if a plausible interpretation can be made of the
sentence, then one should form a reconstruction of the sentence in the target
language, compare the reconstruction with the original idiosyncratic sentence, and
then describe the differences.
If the native language of the learner is known, the model indicates using translation
as a possible indicator of native language interference as the source of error.
In some cases no plausible interpretation is possible at all.
 A. Is sentence superficially
well-formed in terms of the
gramar of the target
DOES JOHN CAN SING? language?
NO

C. Can a plausible Sentence is overtly

interpretation be put on idiosincratic
sentence in context?
YES

D. Make well formed

reconstruction of sentence in
target language
CAN JOHN SING?

Original sentence contained pre-

posed do auxiliary applicable to
most verbs, but not to verbs with
modal auxiliars. OUT2
 THE DIFERENTE CITY A. Is sentence
superficially well-
IS ANOTHER ONE IN formed in terms of
the gramar of the
THE ANOTHER TWO target language?

I. No analysis G. No plausible
translation or
NO. Sentence is OUT3 interpretation.
overtly idiosincratic
C. Can a plausible
interpretation be put
on sentence in
context?
NO.
F. Is mother tongue of
learner known?
YES. Spanish.