A contrastive linguistic analysis of the essays of Oshindonga speaking grade 9 learners of Jan Möhr Secondary School

Abstract

Using the Contrastive Analysis Theory of language, the study sought to analyse Grade 9 Oshindonga L1 learners’ essays, written in English, at Jan Möhr Secondary School (Windhoek, Namibia) and to compare the writing/pronunciation systems, punctuation and noun formation processes of the two languages with the ultimate goal of examining causes of errors made by Oshindonga learners in their English essays. Systematically comparing the structures of English and Oshindonga can be a good avenue to identify the areas of difficulty that English as a Second Language may present to Oshindonga L1 learners when they write essays in English. Employing the qualitative research method design to collect data, the study identified multiple word choice errors, word formation errors and spelling errors in written essays in English by the Grade 9 Oshindonga L1 learners, which were established to culminate from L1 interference. The selection of the appropriate words to use when writing in English was observed to be difficult for the learners because such decisions are frequently based on L1 knowledge, which is frequently, partially or completely contradictory to L2 knowledge. The study found that a majority of Grade 9 Oshindonga L1 learners have difficulties with the spelling English words. The study revealed that the errors made by learners in their English essays are attributed to the following factors: inter-lingual interference, intra-lingual inference, limited knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary, carelessness and over-generalisation.