Abstract:
This is a qualitative study that analyzed common concord errors in the written essays
of Basic 7 pupils of Bulinga Basic School in the Bawku West District of the Upper East
Region of Ghana. The data used for the analysis comprised pupils’ written essays. From
this, a total of 153 errors were identified. Seven error types were identified and they
include: Subject verb concord errors, Determiner nouns concord errors, coordinated
subject concord errors, Noun pronoun concord errors, Inverted subject concord errors,
Verb-verb concord errors and Construction with more than one concord errors. From
this, subject verb concord errors had the highest frequency with errors on coordinated
subject concord and inverted subject concord being the lowest. Based on the findings
of the study, causes of errors in learners’ writing could be traced to lots of concord
rules, overgeneralization, hypercorrection, context of learning, Lack of practice,
Inappropriate teaching methods used by some teachers, Language transfer- interlingual
and intralingual, ignorance of rule restrictions. Some suggestions are made to various
stakeholders to ensure effective teaching and learning of the English Language in basic
schools.
Description:
A THESIS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS, FACULTY
OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION,
SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITY
OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF EDUCATION
(TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE-TESL) DEGREE.
AUGUST, 2019
