中井, 康平

久埜, 百合

ホーン, ベバリー

NAKAI, Kohei

KUNO, Yuri

HORNE, Beverley

外国語活動（Foreign Language Activities）

エラー分析（error analysis）

[SUMMARY] This paper analyzes errors in English composition by 105 first-year junior high school students to clarify the path for early English learners to study the language. The authors analyzed the participants’ written words in answer to two English composition questions, which were conducted from June to July, 2022. As a result, two types of errors were identified. First, (1) spelling errors, in which the wrong vowels were used, were revealed. Besides, there were some examples of errors, where a vowel was inserted after the final consonant of a word（epenthesis）. There were also several mistakes which the students mistook the letters, ‘r’ and ‘l’. Second, (2) grammatical errors, which tend to be pronounced with weak sounds in communication. For example, the deletion of plural forms, ‘s’, the lack of a/an, the absence of the be-verb, the lack of the -ing form, were identified. Because the grammatical items were all pronounced weakly, learners are likely to use the expressions without noticing the mistakes. The pedagogical implications of the results include the need to sensitize teachers’ awareness of the importance of explicit speech/pronunciation instructions and not forget that it will affect later reading and writing instruction. In addition, there is a definite need for explicit speech instruction.