Sources And Patterns Of Spelling Errors In Language-Learners Language : An Investigation Of Persian Learners Of English
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Date
2011-11
Authors
Solati, Akhbar
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Abstract
This study investigates the sources and patterns of spelling errors of Persian
English language learners. There are four major objectives. First, it attempts to determine
sources of interlingual errors in the spelling of Persian English language learners. Next, it
endeavors to determine sources of intralingual errors in the spelling of Persian English
language learners. Then, this study will establish patterns of interlingual errors in the
spelling of Persian English language learners. And finally, it will establish patterns of
intralingual errors in the spelling of Persian English language learners.
Forty Persian English language learners participated in this study. They have been
randomly selected from the total population of 200 Persian English language learners
who are studying in grade one of secondary education cycle in Daragaz, a city in
Khorasan Razavi state of Iran. The data was gathered using a word dictation test. To
achieve the objectives, the procedures utilized in this study for identification of spelling
errors were adopted from Corder (1974).
The analysis of Persian learners’ spelling errors reveals that some specific
differences between the sound systems of English and Persian have affected the spelling ability of Persian learners. They tend to transfer Persian language sounds into English,
during which process, they substitute the dissimilar and non-matching English sounds
with the closest match in Persian sounds. Upon analyzing the spelling errors, two sources
of interlingual errors emerge as the most prevalent: L1 phonological interference and L1
syllable structure interference. The study indicates that not all spelling errors can be
attributed to native language influence. In fact, L2 interference plays an important role in
the spelling errors of Persian English language learners. An in-depth analysis of Persian
learners’ spelling errors reveals three sources of intralingual errors: overgeneralization,
ignorance of spelling rules, and finally homophone confusion. The results of the current
study also reveal two main categories for patterns of interlingual spelling errors and six
main categories for patterns of intralingual spelling errors. They also indicate that the
number of intralingual errors is much bigger than the number of interlingual errors. This
study supports the view that L1 transfer does not appear to be the major source of errors
in learning L2.
All these suggest that steps need to be taken in order to assist Persian English
language learners to improve their English spelling. This study can be used as a
beginning point for establishing guidelines to suggest appropriate techniques in the
teaching of English spelling to Persian English language learners. These findings are also
important to syllabus designers who will decide what important items to include in and
what redundant items to exclude from the syllabus.
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Keywords
English language , Orthography and spelling