Lexico grammatical errors among Tugen learners of english

Abstract

This research sought to determine and describe lexico-grammatical errors made by students in upper primary school. The objectives of the study were to describe the nature of lexico.-grammatical errors, investigate the extent to which L1 contributed to these errors and establish the effect of these errors on the learner language. The study was based on Error Analysis and Interlanguage theories. A simple random sample of seventy five standard six Tugen speakers ii-om Baringo district in Rifi Valley province was selected. The researcher then collected data fiom this sample and classified the various lexico-grammatical errors. The following tools were used for elicitation of data: written composition, passage rewriting, cloze test and a questionnaire. The errors that were identified were grouped into seven categories and later the frequency of occurrence analyzed. The study in the end established that there were indeed a number of lexico-grammatical errors. For instance, sound similarity errors posted a higher percentage compared to the other errors showing that the L; learners still needed attention to correct them. Language switch had fewer errors that were picked from this research. The research also established that a majority of these errors are caused by the process of learning the second language while others could be attributed to first language interference. In short, the causes remain varied. The research observed that Tugen L1 speakers make a lot of lexico-grammatical errors, some hampering their communication while the other errors did not cause miscommunication. The findings fi-om this study will be a source of knowledge to linguists and curriculum developers will gain insights towards the re-arrangement and re-alignment of the language syllabus.