Utilizing Error Analysis in Teaching Practice: Is It Meaningful?
Odo Fadloeli and Fazri Nur Yusuf
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi no. 229, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Error Analysis, Grammatical Errors, Pronunciation Errors, Vocabulary Errors, Code Switch, Subject Matter
Competence, Prospective Teachers
Abstract: Studies on error in language learning have been largely researched but utilizing error analysis in teacher
education remains a question. The present study aims at investigating the use of errors in prospective teacher’s
spoken language to enhance their subject matter competence. Involving 13 prospective English language
teachers of a public teacher education institution, the data were collected by teaching observation and
interviews and were analysed by content analysis under three barriers dimensions proposed by Yang and
Carless (2013). The findings indicate that all prospective teachers committed errors. The errors made are
among others grammatical, pronunciation, and vocabulary errors, and code switch. The errors made can be
categorized as errors and mistakes. Those errors are due to their limited knowledge and lack of practice. The
prospective teachers can immediately correct their errors when feedback is provided by their supervisors. The
findings suggest that it is necessary for teacher education institutions to provide and train their prospective
teachers fundamental trainings and practice on subject matter. These trainings and practices may reduce the
prospective teachers’ anxiety and in implementing their mastery of subject matter. There is highly
recommended to provide sufficient feedback provision that serve dialogicity, meaningfulness, and timeliness
and insights.
1 INTRODUCTION
Studies on error analysis in language learning
have been largely researched but utilizing error
analysis in teacher education remains a question. In
the meantime error analysis is “a ‘device’ the students
use in order to learn” (Khansir, 2013). Besides, the
prospective teacher can make use of their errors made
to help themselves to connect their prior knowledge
and the new material or skills presented (Abushihab,
2014).
Research on error analysis has shown their
contribution to the enhancement of subject matter
competence. First, a study to 30 ESL students in UAE
shows that error analysis influences them to boost
their second language acquisition (Alahmadi, 2014).
Second, a study to five transcripts of Indonesian high
school students’ speaking performance have
indicated that they fail to fill in the gaps of their
grammatical errors (Rini, 2014). Third, a study to
Chinese high school students shows error analysis
helps them identify their errors, when, and how to
cope with the errors (Xie and Jiang, 2007). Fourth, a
study to ESL students in Bangladesh indicates that
error analysis helps students to make balance when to
give corrective feedback and when not when students
perform their speaking (Kayum, 2015). Fifth, a study
on error analysis supports scaffolding to make
students learn more effectively to succeed compared
to giving direct feedback (Maolida, 2013). Sixth, a
study on error analysis helps students to identify the
effect of students’ native language and their second
language acquisition (Habibullah, 2010; Mustafa et
al., 2017).
Those studies serve a strong argument that error
analysis on subject matter delivered through
feedback—defined as inputs on one’s progress
towards their improvement (Lewis, 2002) promote
betterment. This argument encourages prospective
teachers to make a reflection on their own mastery
and performance. Furthermore, it promotes better and
more systematic feedback provision in teacher
education institutions in particular. Based on those
arguments, it is necessary to conduct a research on
error analysis that supports feedback provision to
Fadloeli, O. and Yusuf, F.
Utilizing Error Analysis in Teaching Practice: Is It Meaningful?.
DOI: 10.5220/0008216400002284
In Proceedings of the 1st Bandung English Language Teaching International Conference (BELTIC 2018) - Developing ELT in the 21st Century, pages 243-249
ISBN: 978-989-758-416-9
Copyright
c
 2022 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
243

enhance English prospective teachers’ subject matter
competence.
To be a competent professional teacher is a
desirable and high demand for every teacher,
including an English teacher. Language teaching
experts assert that professional teachers must have the
following competencies: professions/fields of study,
pedagogy, social, and personal.
To obtain the competencies mentioned, training
for teachers is required. Teaching practicum and
teaching practice as part of teacher education is
considered not strong enough to help prospective
English teachers to become professional and
competent in their field of expertise.
In this research, error analysis is used as a tool to
improve the competence of field of study of English
teacher candidate. Amid the diversity of
understanding of mistake and errors, this study uses
the definition of error as "the mistakes which cannot
be corrected by students themselves (Harmer, 2008)
that occurs as the result of the unknown language
rules. the reflection of gaps in the students' knowledge
"(Ellis, 1997, p 17). When viewed from the final state
of the error, it is shown that the student's ignorance of
the rules of the language he is aware of or not (Yang
& Xu, 2001, p.17) thus requires others to correct him.
The role of error analysis on the provision of
feedback on competencies in the subject matter
competence of the teacher candidate is no doubt. The
results of error analysis provide information related to
the dimensions of feedback (content, social-affection,
and structure) that can be a source of barriers to the
acquisition and improvement of competencies when
not well exploited by the candidates of English
teachers resulting in a lack of student understanding
of the material being taught. This condition
encourages the present study to utilize and promote
the use of error analysis within a dialogic feedback
process (Stern and Backhouse, 2011; Sutton, 2009).
The competence of subject matter in teaching is not
only a matter of transmitting knowledge, but must
have a capacity-building orientation of learners "to
engage in dialogue." In these dialogues, knowledge is
constantly being built, deconstructed and
reconstructed" (Wegerif, 2006).
To examine how error analysis in supporting the
feedback process as part of improving the
competence of the field of English teacher candidates
can be seen in Figure 2. The three dimensions of Yang
and Carless (2013) will be the basis and source of
error- in this study. These three dimensions can be
illustrated in the following figure.
The three dimensions as the source of error analysis
become important information in the feedback
process. The first dimension is the cognitive
dimension associated with the content that indicates
the quality of the work of the learner. The content of
feedback in this context is not limited to academic
knowledge. This dimension can include the nature of
the task and the learning needs of the learners. This
dimension will encourage learners' involvement to
learn independently, the ability to independently
monitor their learning. Some of the following focus
are examples of this dimension, including: discussion
of concepts, techniques, task completion strategies,
procedures, skills, values, attitudes, beliefs, and
principles (Yang and Carless, 2013).
The second dimension is the socio-affective
dimension related to negotiation between feedback.
Yang and Carless (2013) define it as "social practice"
in which relationship management is the emotional
centre affecting the way of learning. They emphasize
the concern of the inner dimension of how social role
responses in their learning environment and how the
emotions of learners are involved to carry out
learning and do learning tasks. Yang and Carless
(2013) state that effective learners use feedback to
channel their emotions toward self-learning. Such
self-learning ability can support strategies to motivate
and assure emotions as part of natural learning.
The third dimension is the structure dimension
consisting of organization and feedback management.
Yang and Carless (2013) add this component must
work with resources to generate and provide
feedback. They advise teachers and institutions to be
part of the two feedback processes.
There are four ways error suppression is given in
helping learners learn to do well. First, error analysis
helps learners to verify that they are capable of
reaching their learning target. Second, error analysis
allows them to assess their strengths and weaknesses.
Third, error analysis can encourage learners to grow
in line with the process. Finally, error analysis can
help them recognize and share insights about the
world (London and Sessa, 2006).
Associated with the competencies required as a
professional teacher, error analysis becomes a
provider of feedback information empirically
assisting prospective teachers. Error analysis can
identify gaps between existing abilities and desired
capabilities (Price et al., 2011). In addition, error
analysis can clarify misunderstandings and can
identify weaknesses of learning strategies and skills
(Sadler, 2010). It can also contribute to independent
learning (Pekrun et al., 2002) and can nurture the
potential and ability of aspiring teachers to be
independent, solve problems, self-evaluate, and
reflect (Sadler, 2010).
BELTIC 2018 - 1st Bandung English Language Teaching International Conference
244

To be competent is the main goal of every
teacher. This is certainly true for English teachers.
Various characteristics of being a competent teacher
are required for prospective English teachers who are
expressed from experts and educational institutions as
well. One suggested by The National Academy of
Education (Darling-Hammond et al., 2005). It is
proposed that the teacher be competent when he has
the following knowledge. First, teachers have
learners' knowledge and their development. Second,
teachers have knowledge of the subject matter and
curriculum objectives. Third, teachers have
knowledge of teaching. This competency requires the
teacher to have knowledge of the content, learning
process, and learning process of the learner related to
the content. Finally, he is able to assess student
learning outcomes and be able to manage the class.
The present study focuses on the competence of
teaching English teacher candidates. Their teaching
competencies are demonstrated over three months of
Teaching Practice Program supervised by lecturers
from the university and teachers from the target
schools. Improved teaching competence is considered
one of the most frequently used competency demands
as an analytical variable to explain why some teachers
are more effective than others (Hendriks et al., 2010).
Figure 1: Error Analysis in Teaching Practice towards
Subject Matter Competence
2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Prospective English teachers and their
supervisors were involved as respondents. The
prospective English teacher is the fourth year college
students of a public university in Bandung, Indonesia.
They were enrolled as students of the Teaching
Practice Program (known as PPL) at high schools as
a requirement. The supervisors are lecturers from the
university and the cooperating teachers of the target
schools assigned by their institutions as mentors.
Both of them were on duty to provide English teacher
candidate support during the Teaching Practice
Program. Prospective English teachers and their
supervisors were engaged in communication and
open sharing of understanding during the feedback
process.
Data collection was done by using observation
instruments and recorded interviews. From the
observation instrument, data related errors were
collected in the oral prospective teachers through
presentation and/or teaching simulations. From the
interviews, collected data that validate data from
previous instruments and complete it with data causes
of the error. In-depth interviews with prospective
English teachers were recorded periodically after they
teach; their teaching performance is a result of a
revision of their previous teaching performance based
on the feedback given by the supervisors. The data
collected were categorized into a feedback dimension
trilogy.
After collecting the data, they were converted
into dimensions trilogy: cognition dimension; what
cognitive dimension, the social-affection dimension;
how prospective teachers interact and respond to
errors made (socio-affective dimension), and
organizational and management dimensions; in what
way the error is managed (structural dimension).
Furthermore, the collected data is analyzed using
content analysis with the framework: content,
organization, grammatical aspects, and
pronunciation.
3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
From the data collection conducted either
through observation or interviews, there was found
four categories of mistakes made by prospective
teachers whether consciously or subconciously.
Cognitively, the error is divided into: grammatical
errors, pronunciation errors, errors in vocabulary use,
and code switches.
Grammatical errors dominate the mistakes made
by the prospective teachers. There are 51 errors
consisting of the use of the word article, the use of
WH Question, the use of subject-verb agreement, the
use of plural-singular, the use of prepositional verbs,
the use of prepositional phrases, the use of many-
much, the use of gerund, the use of tense, the use of
command sentence (imperative), use of introductory
"there". Here are some examples of grammatical
errors made by prospective teachers as displayed in
Table 3.1.
Utilizing Error Analysis in Teaching Practice: Is It Meaningful?
245

The pronunciation errors were made 22 times. In
general, they were made at word level. The errors
made is presented in the following Table 3.2.
From the example in Table 3.2, there appears to
be a number of pronunciation that are not in
Indonesian pronunciation, such as the sound of the
word focus, the /ɵ/ in word mouth, and the /ʧ/ in
pouch . In addition, there is a difference in English
pronunciation between what is read and what is
written that causes errors of pronunciation to occur.
Furthermore, the vocabulary error is done six
times. The error lies in the use of some English words
that do not fit the context. The following errors are
presented in the vocabulary. The details are presented
in Table 3.3.
Table 3.3 shows to be an indirect effect of
Indonesian on the misuse of vocabulary use,
especially on presentate as the translation of present,
matery – material , and raise up – raise hands.
Finally, the next mistake made by the
prospective teacher lies in the transfer of code from
the Indonesian language into English. Found 14
mistakes made by the prospective English teachers.
The errors are presented in the following Table 3.4.
From Table 3.4 regarding errors of code switch,
they appear that there are errors in translating
Indonesian speech or using English utterances that are
commonly used by the English native speakers.
From the above findings, the prospective
English teachers generally made errors based on two
reasons. First, permanent errors are due to ignorance
and second due to temporary error. A temporary error
can just be identified when the prospective teachers
are asked to revisit the mistakes made and they are
able to correct the mistake after being assisted by their
mentors. This is clearly in line with statements, both
from Harmer (2007) and from Ellis (1997). They both
argue that the cause of their mistakes can stem from
their ignorance of the rules (in this case related rules
in English) or by mistake that is not intentional.
Permanent errors are mostly done in categories
of grammatical errors, vocabulary errors, and
language overrides. The errors in pronunciation tends
to be temporary. This happens because nervousness
when observed by supervisors and when expressing
certain words in rush. This finding shows similar
findings of Yang and Xu (2001) stating that they
made a mistake in the language because of ignorance
consciously or subconsciouly. Therefore they need
others to identify and correct them.
Grammatical errors and misconduct are possible
because the prospective teachers are less or less likely
to use English in their day-to-day language use,
especially in the classroom or their negligence in
using acceptable English Rini (2014). The habit of
using the Indonesian language or the mother tongue
of the students strongly does not support the
preservation of English mastery that should be used
in the classroom. This can also lead to many details
related to aspects of grammatical rules and
pronunciation in English cannot be functioned
properly.
Table 1: Grammatical Errors
Types of
Errors
Descriptions
The Correct
Grammar
Use of article
What kind of the
text?
Unnecessary
use of article
What kind of
text is it?
Use of W-H Question
Who is the
announcement
for?
Misuse of WH
Question
Whom is the
announcement
for?
Use of subject-verb agreement
This is consist
of...
I have been fill
for you.
Subject-verb
disagreement
This consists
of...
One has been
filled out for
you.
Use of plural-singular
Five sentence
No suffix “s”
Five sentences
Use of prepositional verb
...according
with...
...related with...
Inappropriate
phrasal verbs
...according
to…
...related to...
Use of prepositional phrase
This part body
of...
Inappropriate
prepositional
phrase
This part of
body...
Use of pronouns
For our today.
What is
someone doing?
Inappropriate
pronouns
For us today.
What is he/she
doing?
Use of many-much
Collect this stick
as much as you
can.
Misuse of
“much” for
countable nouns
Collect this stick
as many as you
can.
Use of gerund
After watch
video...
Before
continue...
Inappropriate
use of “gerund”
After watching
video...
Before
continuing...
Use of tense
She introduce
you to me via
email.
Misuse of
”tense”
She introduces
you to me via
email.
Use of imperative
Telling to your
friend.
Inappropriate
imperatives
Tell it to your
friend.
BELTIC 2018 - 1st Bandung English Language Teaching International Conference
246

You ask your
group...
Ask your
group...
Use of introductory “there”
There are two
classification
about...
Inappropriate
use of
“introductory
‘there’”
There are two
classifications
of...
Table 2: Pronunciation Errors
Types of
Errors
Descriptions
The Correct
Pronunciation
Focus
Pronounced
/fɔkjus/
/fɔkɘz/
Mouth
Pronounced
/mɔt/
/mauɵ/
Rough
Pronounced
/rɔg/
/rɅf/
Height
Pronounced
/heit/
/hait/
Purpose
Pronounced
/purpɔs/
/pɜ:pɘs/
Effort
Pronounced
/efɔ:t/
/efɘ:t/
Pouch
Pronounced
/pɔʧ/
/pauʧ/
Tabel 3: Use of Vocabulary Errors
Types of Errors
The Correct
Vocabularies
Presentate
Present
Matery
Material
Whether you still remind
of that?
Whether you still
remember of that?
I want you to change with
your friend.
I want you to swap/swop
with your friend.
Train station
Railway station
Raise up.
Raise your hand.
Tabel 4: Errors in Code Switch
Types of Errors
The Correct
Words/Utterances
What is storage?
What is the Indonesian for
“storage”?
Who wants to answer?
Can anyone answer the
question?
I want to make groups
consist of...
I’d like you to work in
groups of...
Okay, can.
Yes, it can be the answer.
Any else?
Anything else?
Attention here.
Attention please.,ncx
Make me sure.
Make sure.
Errors in the vocabulary category can be caused
by several factors. First, it is related to the vocabulary
mastery of the intended teachers in their learning.
When the mastery of vocabulary is a little, it allows
the limitations in utilizing the owned vocabulary. The
higher the level of vocabulary mastery of the
prospective teachers is, the higher the likelihood of
using the variety of vocabularies they have
(Abushihab, 2014; Khansir, 2013) in tiered and
continuous (Maolida, 2013).
Second factor is the prospective teachers’ efforts
in using the new vocabulary. If there is any doubt
about using a new vocabulary, then there is a great
possibility that no vocabulary will increase or be
dominated by prospective teachers (Alahmadi, 2014).
Third factor is the efforts of prospective teachers to
use the vocabulary that they already have. The more
vocabulary is commonly in use, the more likely it is
that the vocabulary is often used and the more controll
in various contexts of use (Kayum, 2015; Khansir,
2013).
Because of the mistakes made above due to basic
knowledge problems, these permanent errors can be
categorized into cognitive constraints (Yang and
Carless, 2013). Yang and Carless suggest that to
overcome such errors it is necessary to provide
suggestions. This suggestion is presented in the
feedback given by the mentor in particular, both from
the coperating teachers and the university teachers. In
addressing these errors, the dialogic feedback process
will greatly enhance knowledge as well as exploiting
and exploring the knowledge that these aspiring
teachers have (Xue-mei, 2007; Maolida, 2013). This
is in line with London and Sessa (2006) and Price, et
al. (2011) who state when prospective teachers can
identify their shortcomings and potentials through
error analysis, they are recognizing their world,
recognizing their profession as teachers. The
prospective teachers will be able to choose their
learning strategies as independent learners (Pekrun, et
al., 2002), independent, be able to solve problems, be
capable of evaluating, and be able to reflect (Sadler,
2010).
Mistakes over code switch may be due to the
influence of the mother tongue on the process of
mastering English and/or the influence of learning
English on the acquisition of English. Through error
analysis, it is expected that how the process of
learning English continues even though the
prospective teachers will devote themselves as a
professional. This is in line with the findings of
Habibullah (2010) and Mustafa et al., (2017) who
found that error analysis can help acquire the English
language as of that the prospective teachers are doing.
Feedback delivery from both mentors and peers
allows prospective teachers to develop themselves
Utilizing Error Analysis in Teaching Practice: Is It Meaningful?
247

better over time. Through the feedback they receive
will provide great opportunities to find their
potentials to improve their subject matter competence
and the potential to further develop themselves
through the feedforward process (Xue-mei, 2007;
Maolida, 2013).
This study clearly shows that prospective
teachers who are the subject of this study show their
deficiencies in four categories. Through the error
analysis of the four categories described above,
prospective teachers will be able to identify their
faults independently (Xie and Jiang, 2007) and be
able to improve on their own competence (Kayum,
2015) as well as a solution to the problems they face
in the future day.
4 CONCLUSION
Based on the findings and discussion of this study, the
following conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, not all
mistakes made by the prospective teacher is a
permanent mistake. Most of these are temporary
errors. They realize that they know they are wrong.
Giving prospective teachers a chance to identify all
errors including their strengths becomes crucial in
identifying and making use of the mistakes made in
order to become a lesson for not making similar
mistakes. Secondly, mistakes made by prospective
teachers must be acknowledged to always exist and is
a potential that can be used as input for mentors as
well as learning materials that can be utilized by
prospective teachers to improve the quality of
mastery of their field of study. Thirdly, systematic
efforts through feedback both from mentors and
colleagues enable prospective teachers to identify
existing weaknesses and then design programs to
address them through the utilization of their
respective potential.
Related to the findings and discussion, the
following suggestions are in need to be done. Firstly
to prospective teachers, it is necessary to improve the
practice of using English as the language of
instruction in the classroom. Secondly to mentors,
cooperating teachers, university teachers, or similar
related professions can take error analysis as a study
to enrich their learning and teaching process. Thirdly
to the school or related institution managing the
education, it may lead teachers, lecturers, instructors,
or related professions to improve their competence,
especially in the field of study. They are expected to
have the ability to detect errors, find causes of errors
made, and design follow-ups or feedforward in the
form of programs that can help prospective teachers
to find solutions to overcome the problems
experienced.
REFERENCES
Abushihab, I., 2014. An Analysis of Grammatical Errors in
Writing Made by Turkish Learners of English as a
Foreign Language. Int. J. Linguist. 6, 213–223.
https://doi.org/10.5296/ijl.v6i4.6190
Alahmadi, N.S., 2014. Errors Analysis: A Case Study of
Saudi Learner’s English Grammatical Speaking Errors.
Arab World Engl. J. 15.
Darling-Hammond, L., Baratz-Snowden, J., Education,
N.A. of E.C. on T., 2005. A Good Teacher in Every
Classroom: Preparing the Highly Qualified Teachers
Our Children Deserve, A Good Teacher in Every
Classroom: Preparing the Highly Qualified Teachers
Our Children Deserve. Wiley.
Ellis, R., 1997. SLA Research and Language Teaching.
Habibullah, M.M.K., 2010. An Error Analysis on
Grammatical Structures of The Students’ Theses.
Harmer, J., 2007. How to Teach English (Second Edition).
ELT J. 62, 313–316. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccn029
Hendriks, M.A., Luyten, H., Scheerens, J., Sleegers, P.,
Steen, R., 2010. Teachers’ professional development:
Europe in international comparison. Office for Official
Publications of the European Union.
https://doi.org/10.2766/63494
Kayum, M.A., 2015. Error analysis and correction in oral
communication in the efl context of Bangladesh. Int. J.
Multidiscip. Res. Dev. 5.
Khansir, A.A., 2013. Applied Linguistics and English
Language Teaching 7.
Lewis, M., 2002. Giving feedback in language classes.
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre, Singapore.
London, M., Sessa, V., 2006. Group Feedback for
Continuous Learning. Hum. Resour. Dev. Rev. 5, 303–
329. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534484306290226
Maolida, E. H., 2013. Oral Corrective Feedback and
Learner Uptake in a Young Learner EFL Classroom: A
Case Study in an English Course in Bandung. A Thesis,
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia.
Mustafa, F., Kirana, M., Bahri Ys, S., 2017. Errors in EFL
writing by junior high students in Indonesia. Int. J. Res.
Stud. Lang. Learn. 6, 38–52.
https://doi.org/10.5861/ijrsll.2016.1366
Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Titz, W., Perry, R. P., 2002. Positive
Emotions in Education. Retrieved from
https://kops.uni-
konstanz.de/bitstream/handle/123456789/13908/Pekru
n_positive_emotions.pdf?sequence=2.
Price, M., Handley, K., Millar, J., 2011. Feedback: focusing
attention on engagement. Stud. High. Educ. 36, 879–
896. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2010.483513
Rini, S., 2014. The Error Analysis on the Students of
English Department Speaking Scripts. Regist. J. Lang.
Teach. IAIN Salatiga 7.
Sadler, D.R., 2010. Beyond feedback: developing student
capability in complex appraisal. Assess. Eval. High.
BELTIC 2018 - 1st Bandung English Language Teaching International Conference
248

Educ. 35, 535–550.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903541015
Stern, J., Backhouse, A., 2011. Dialogic feedback for
children and teachers: evaluating the ‘spirit of
assessment.’ Int. J. Child. Spiritual. 16, 331–346.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436X.2011.642853
Sutton, P., 2009. Critical and Reflective Practice in
Education Volume 1 Issue 1 2009 1, 10.
Wegerif, R., 2006. Dialogic Education: What is it and why
do we need it? Educ. Rev. 19, 58–67.
Xie, F., Jiang, X., 2007. Error Analysis and the EFL
Classroom Teaching.
Yang, M., Carless, D., 2013. The feedback triangle and the
enhancement of dialogic feedback processes. Teach.
High. Educ. 18, 285–297.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2012.719154
Yang, X., Xu, H., 2001. Errors of Creativity: An Analysis
of Lexical Errors Committed by CHinese ESL Students.
Lanham: University Press of America, Inc.
Utilizing Error Analysis in Teaching Practice: Is It Meaningful?
249