Grammar Error Analysis of Narrative Compositions of Learners in Senior Secondary School Grades: A Case Study of Selected Public Secondary Schools in Chingola District, Zambia

Abstract

The study analysed grammar errors in narrative compositions of learners in senior grades (grades 10-12) in four selected public secondary schools in Chingola District of the Copperbelt Province, Zambia. The study relied on the Universal Grammar Theory of Noam Chomsky of 1960. The informants of the study were 60 (26 males and 34 females): 1 (one) from the District Education Board Secretary's office, 2 (two) Head teachers, 4 (four) Deputy Head teachers, 3 (three) Heads of Departments, 2 (two) Heads of Sections, 8 (eight Subject Teachers and 40 learners. Purposive sampling was used to select participants positioned to give the needed information. Questionnaires, interview schedules, focus group discussions, lesson observation and assessment of learners' narrative composition scripts were the methods of data collection used. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches to data collection were employed. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 and Excel while qualitative data was analysed in a descriptive manner. The study revealed variations in the types of grammatical errors learners committed in narrative compositions in the four selected schools. The numbers and types of grammatical errors varied from school to school. Respondents further suggested to the investigation possible causes of grammatical errors learners made in narrative compositions. It was established that despite the variations as regards the types of grammatical errors learners made, some errors, namely spellings, tenses, punctuations, word order and paragraphing were common in all the four selected schools.

Vocabulary Competency and Reading Comprehension of Grade 12 English as Second Language Users: A Systematic Review

“…The Role of Vocabulary Knowledge in Reading and Comprehension Development First language (L1) reading researchers have reported the importance of both breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension (Qian, 2002;Nouri & Zerhouni, 2018;Sanopao, 2016;Sampa et al, 2022). However, in L2 research, there has been little recognition of the extremity of vocabulary knowledge until recently, and few empirical studies have reported such a relationship.…”

“…Reading comprehension is a complex skill (Perfetti, Landi, & Oakhill, 2005;Muyangana, 2012;Sampa et al, 2022). Readers make sense of words and word phrases, tell their meanings, and interpret grammatical structure.…”

“…The second step should be to help the student develop a different attitude towards writing by helping them concentrate on expressing their thoughts rather than avoiding mistakes. On the other hand, scholars such as Edelsky (1982), Hudelson (1984), Spack (1988), Zamel (1992), and Sampa et al (2022) believe that writing is what makes it possible for us to read rather than the other way around. Zamel (1992) reports that the contribution of writing to enhancing reading in elementary school classrooms presents itself as an opportunity to explore meaning.…”

“…An interesting criticism challenging to refute is that advanced by Shanahan (1987), Tierney andPearson (1983), andAl-Saadat (2004), who say that "reading and writing relation could be a simple artifact due to an under-developed theoretical model" primarily because most studies have not employed any intelligence control for various reasons. Also, there have been some important challenges to the notion that reading and writing influence each other and critical thinking (Elleman & Oslund, 2019;Al-Ghazo & Ta'amneh, 2022;Mpolomoka &Sakai, 2021;Sampa et al, 2022;Banda et al, 2023;Mann et al, 2023).…”

Clinical Motivation Experience Practicum at Rehabilitation Center, Boston: A Case Study.

“…To be able to do it correctly, the counselees during their practical training must equip themselves with the skill, knowledge and technique of client history-taking and problem presentation in a case study [1]. The counselling student in training should be an empathic listener, listening carefully and understandably to be able to get the meta-story of the patient during the session to write a good clinical case report [2]. The significance of a case study is that it is an effective way of helping students to apply their skills [3], in a practicable manner and to understand learned information in real-life events.…”