Concord Errors in Written English of Junior Secondary Schools Students

Concord Errors in Written English of Junior Secondary Schools Students

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the Study

English language in Nigeria serves as the official language, second language as well as the medium of instruction and communication in education institutions. The desire to improve the use of spoken and written English in students is the motivation behind this research.

A number of concord errors are made by students when writing essays. Most students construct sentences that lack agreement between subject and verb, pronoun antecedent, complementation in tenses.

The knowledge of the rules of concord in English grammar is very necessary if one is to speak and write good English. The study of this aspect of grammar does not only highlight subject verb relationship, but equally brings to the fire the acceptable relation of some element in a sentence.

So, there is a need to streamline and study the specific errors patterns for more effective teaching and learning. And it is obvious, that teaching of grammatical structure happen to be the most fundamental aspect of language study and especially that of English.

That is why, it is important to examine all aspect of concord errors in English.

Concord Errors in Written English of Junior Secondary Schools Students

1.2   Statement of the Study

This study, attempts to explore the problematic area of concord errors in written English; most second language users, including students have often been found waiting when it comes to case of observing concord rules in English. This is as a result of the fact that there are always dear distinctions between linguistic features of the learner’s mother tongue (Li) and those of English language. (L₂).

The wrong application of concord in students essay is a common feature in the spoken and written English in Junior Secondary School. Concord errors affect the students overall ability to communicate and thereby, militate on their performance in public examination. There is this general contention that the student’s failure to correctly use concord is due to insufficient knowledge of its functions.

Therefore, wrong use of concord leads to lack of fluency in the expression in essays and causes distortion and wrong interpretation of message in any written and spoken discourse.

1.3   Purpose of the Study

The study seeks to:

1. Find out the concord errors that interfere in the study of English language.
2. Find out the concord errors that the teaching of English language
3. Examine the extent to which insufficient and unqualified teachers in English language.

1.4   Significance of the Study

This research is significant because it will help the students on how to use the laid down rules and approaches. To the learning of English language. And how concord interference affects in the learning of written English in junior secondary school.

The research also intends to serve as an invaluable aid to students of English. Who have not yet assimilated the rules of concord in English language. The care taken in treating the rules and how these apply in spoken and written English would serve as a motivation to these sets of persons hence the errors often noticed in the usage of English language will state.

1.5   Scope and Limitation of the Study

This work covers only concord errors and not other forms of grammatical errors; punctuation spellings, e.c.t in the essays of students. The research therefore, includes investigating, identifying, projecting, explaining and describing the concord errors.

1.6   Research Questions

1. Does concord errors affect the students’ teaching and learning ability?
2. Can students’ identity and show the concord errors in written English?
3. What are the problems that are encountered during the teaching and learning concord errors in written English?
4. What are the importance attached to the teaching of grammar?

1.7   Definition of Term

Learning: A change in behaviour, which is more or less permanent in nature which results from activity training and observation.

Concord: Agreement between words in number, person gender, tense, and voice.

Linguistic Features: The signs symbols and behaviour of a particular language.

Syntax: Combination of words in sentence.

Joselyn Nya

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