GENERAL INSTRUCTION: This examination paper has three sections. Read the instructions in
each section carefully before answering the questions.
SECTION ONE: PROVIDE ONLY SHORT ANSWERS. ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS.
1. The difficulties encountered by second language learners are apparent in their
performance and manifested in terms of interference features, errors and
inappropriateness. As a means of solving these problems, applied linguistics and
pedagogical theories have come up with different types of approaches to second
language learners’ performance. List a minimum of four approaches to the study of
second language learners’ performance.
[10 Marks]
In contrastive analysis (CA) to compare and contrast two languages, five different steps
have been mentioned in the literature. What are these procedures? Provide a brief
explanation of each procedure.
[10 Marks]
With respect to the sources of errors following Corder’ classification (1967), Richards
(1971a) distinguishes three types of errors. List these types of errors. Provide a brief
explanation of each type and give appropriate examples.
[10 Marks]
Gass and Selinker (2008, p. 103) suggest that many of the researchers who carried out
error analyses in the 1970s continued to be concerned with language teaching. Indeed,
many of those who attempted to discover more about L2 acquisition thought the study of
errors was itself motivated by a desire to improve pedagogy. That is why the two
researchers proposed six steps in error analysis research in order to reach that objective.
Provide a brief explanation of each step and give appropriate examples. [10 Marks]
Sercombe (2000) explains that Error Analysis (EA) serves three purposes. What are the
main purposes of Error Analysis?
[10 Marks]
Subtotal [50 Marks]