Error patterns in student translations: A study of grammatical issues in higher education

Abstract

The importance of learning English has grown significantly in response to its role as a global means of communication. Mastery of English, particularly its grammatical aspects, is essential for effective communication and is often developed through formal education, such as university programs. This study examines the grammatical competence of undergraduate English Literature students during the 2022/2023 academic year, as reflected in their translation texts. The study analysed 11 translation texts selected from the population using Corder’s superficial basis error classification framework, encompassing four types of errors: omission, addition, selection, and ordering. The classified data were further analysed using general English grammar theories. The findings reveal significant grammatical errors in the students' translations: 49 errors of omission (48%), 7 errors of addition (7%), 40 errors of selection (30%), and 5 errors of ordering (5%). These results highlight specific areas of grammatical difficulty faced by students, offering insights into the need for targeted instructional strategies to improve their grammatical proficiency. This research underscores the importance of error analysis in enhancing the quality of English language education in higher learning institutions.