Introduction
Learning a second language provides significant educational and career opportunities for students and represents a wide area of research. English is relevant for Egyptian students since it is often a separate subject of study, and many programs and disciplines are taught in English in the country (Mohamed et al., 2019). An essential aspect of learning a second language is knowledge and understanding of the principles of word-formation, that is, the study of morphology. Affixes (suffixes and prefixes) are morphemes added to a word to create its form or a new word (Ramadan, 2018). Mistakes in affixes are typical for students learning a second language, affecting communication efficiency. This fact justifies a more specific research topic – a morphological analysis of error use of affixes by Egyptian EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners.
Research Problem
EFL students face serious difficulties when there is a need to choose a suitable affix. The presence of the problem proves the lack of attention in studying this aspect of word formation when learning English as a second language. Based on the presented background, the research problem is an understanding of the morphological aspect of errors in the use of affixes by EFL students and their causes.
Importance of the Study
Misuse of affixes can lead to communication failures and slow progress in language learning. Adding morphemes to words can change their meaning and influence speech’ understanding. Abeyweera (2021) notes that since words form the basis of sentences, and the latter form texts, changing the meaning of words through affixes is very influential. At the same time, the English language features imply difficulties in affixation for EFL students. In particular, there are no clear rules for using affixes, and their distribution is quite an arbitrary issue (Dehham & Majeed, 2018). Moreover, different affixes with one root can form other words or have opposite meanings (Dehham & Majeed, 2018). Teachers need to understand typical errors in affixation to help their students master the second language. To improve students’ skills, it is necessary to develop measures that will help them understand affixes’ role in word formation and avoid mistakes.
Understanding morphology is an essential skill in language learning, which is proven by several studies. Knowledge of word formation improves writing, speaking, and understanding, expands vocabulary, and helps become proficient in the language (Ebedy & Mohamed, 2020). The benefit of morphology justifies applying morphological analysis to the error use of affixes. Many researchers draw attention to the problem of mistakes in word-formation for EFL learners (Abeyweera, 2021; Badawi, 2019; Dehham & Majeed, 2018; Ebedy, D., & Mohamed, 2020; Ramadan, 2018). Nevertheless, the literature review identified a gap in the literature, as the authors focus on several groups of students or various linguistic aspects. Therefore, the importance of the study is justified by a lack of knowledge of affixation and the effect of errors in it on the language learning process.
Aim of the Study
Based on the research problem posed and the stated topic, the study aims to review the error use of affixes among senior secondary students. The study may contribute to filling an existing literature gap and developing interventions to facilitate EFL students’ use of affixation. Achieving this goal will help better understand the characteristics of the English language and its teaching for Arabic-speaking students and contribute to further research in this field. It also aims to provide a theoretical backstory for understanding what errors are common. Another study’s goal is the morphological analysis and evaluation of identified errors.
Delimitations of the Study
Error analysis is an effective tool in studies of second language learning processes, as it helps identify what gaps in teaching methodology need to be filled. The morphological approach to analysis allows focusing on the essential components of a word and draws attention to the insufficient use of morphology in learning the language. Moreover, language is a dynamic phenomenon that constantly develops and changes. New words appear through borrowing or formation, and the latter way emphasizes the importance of a morphological approach to teaching English (Ramadan, 2018). A lack of understanding of morphology does not allow you to acquire the necessary skills in syntax.
The current study has limited scope for better revealing a narrow aspect of the problem. In particular, it focuses only on senior secondary students, not including many levels of EFL students’ English knowledge level. The study suggests a descriptive qualitative research design that involves the study and analysis of various sources – articles, studies, interviews, and similar materials. This approach allows detecting specific patterns inherent in the phenomenon, which is of interest to the researcher. Therefore, a qualitative methodology would be most suitable for identifying errors in affixation and analyzing them.
Research Questions
In accordance with all the above facts, the study raises the following research questions to be answered:
- What are the most common morphological errors in the use of affixes made by senior secondary EFL students?
- What are the reasons for the erroneous use of affixes by Egyptian senior secondary EFL students?
- What suggestions can be made for the teaching process to avoid affixation errors made by EFL students?
References
Abeyweera, G. H. (2021). The use of affixation in academic English: A lexical explanation on affixation, root and meaning. Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(3), 1-13.
Badawi, M. F. A. (2019). The Effect of Explicit English Morphology Instruction on EFL Secondary School Students’ Morphological Awareness and Reading Comprehension. English Language Teaching, 12(4), 166-178.
Dehham, S. H., & Majeed, A. J. (2018). The use of verbal affixes by Iraqi EFL university learners: errors analysis. Methodology and Applied Linguistics, 1(5), 1-22.
Ebedy, D., & Mohamed, H. G. (2020). Developing lexical richness among EFL students: Effect of morphological awareness training on writing performance. Journal of Research in Curriculum Instruction and Educational Technology, 6(2), 45-68.
Mohamed, R. Y., Skinner, M., & Trines, S. (2019. Education in Egypt. World Education News and Reviews.
Ramadan, S. (2018). Morphological errors made by Jordanian university students. Romanian Journal of English Studies, 12(1), 40-49. Web.