Mistakes are inevitable in second language learning. They are just part of the process. Knowing this, I try to not let the fact that I’m going to make mistakes get in the way of speaking.

That said, I have been making the same Greek grammar mistake over and over. Ugh! After making the mistake yet again, I wondered how I could fix it. 

Questions I Had:

-Why am I making this particular mistake?
-Do I actually understand the grammar rule?
-Is there a proven method for fixing grammar mistakes?
-Have I made the grammar error so many times now that it has “stuck”

These questions led to the reading of a number of research papers about second language acquisition and adult learners.  

So what did I learn?

Researchers divide mistakes into several categories.  One category is performance versus competence errors.  According to Touchie (1986), “performance errors are made by learners when they are tired or hurried,” while “competence errors reflect inadequate learning” (p. 76). Another way errors are categorized is local errors versus global errors.  The main difference being whether or not the error impacts meaning and communication. (Touchie, 1986, p. 76).

Touchie (1986) also distinguishes between interlingual errors which are “due to the influence of native languages” and intralingual and developmental errors which are “due to the difficulty of the second / target language” (p, 77). Intralingual errors are divided into eight different types, including simplification, overgeneralization, hypercorrection, faulty teaching, fossilization, avoidance, inadequate learning and false concepts hypothesized (Touchie, 1986,pp.  78-79).

Analyzing My Mistake

My mistake occurs when I say a sentence that has a direct object.  Recently, I was talking in a conversation group about a bear I had seen. I said, <<Γενικά, οι αρκούδες φοβούνται οι άνθρωποι>>,  I should have said, <<Γενικά, οι αρκούδες φοβούνται τους ανθρώπους>>. I frequently forget the change that is needed in the direct object, for example from <<οι άνθρωποι>> to <<τους ανθρώπους>>.

So is my error a matter of performance or competence? Admittedly, I tend to rush and not spend enough time thinking before producing Greek language output.  So, at least a portion of the problem is a performance error.  But, I also wonder if I’m making a competence error.  I think I understand the grammar rule.  In fact, I can even hear the mistake when other learners make it (at least I’m not alone in this!!).  But, do I fully understand the rule?  Honestly, I’m not so sure.

Does my error impact the meaning of what I’m saying and my ability to communicate?  Largely, I think not. However, I’m sure my error clearly marks me as a language learner and is probably jarring to the native speaker’s ear. And well, I’m tired of making that mistake so I want to fix it.

I think my error falls both in the interlingual and intralingual categories.  The grammar structure is not one that is found in the English language so it feels awkward and is hard to remember.  As for falling in the intralingual category – Modern Greek is definitely not easy!

Looking at the other factors, faulty teaching, hypercorrection and avoidance don’t play a role here for me.  Am I simplifying or overgeneralizing the rule? Perhaps.  Have I inadequately learned the concept? Again, perhaps.  Has the concept fossilized in my thinking? Almost definitely! 

Summing it up

-I hurry when trying to speak Greek
-Maybe I don’t understand the grammar
-Greek grammar is hard! (I didn’t need the research to tell me that one!)
-The mistake is almost definitely fossilized or “stuck”

So, using this information, how will I fix this mistake?  Read part 2 to find out (coming soon).

Do you have a mistake that you make frequently? If you’d like to leave a comment, click on the title of the post. Scroll to the bottom and you’ll find the comment box.

Reference:

Touchie, H. Y. (1986). Second language learning errors: Their types, causes, and treatment. JALT journal, 8(1), 75-80.
Click here for the external link to see the publication online.

For further reading:

Falla-Wood, Julia. (2017). Errors in Second/Foreign Language Learning and Their Interpretations. Education and Linguistics Research. 3. 1. 10.5296/elr.v3i1.10251.

Heydari, Pooneh & Bagheri, Mohammad. (2012). Error Analysis: Sources of L2 Learners’ Errors. Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 2. 10.4304/tpls.2.8.1583-1589.

Richards, J. C. (1970). A non-contrastive approach to error analysis. Quebec: ICRB. 

Tulis, M., Steuer, G., & Dresel, M. (2016). Learning from errors: A model of individual processes. Frontline Learning Research, 4(2), 12–26. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v4i2.168