Enhancing the quality of EAP writing through overt teaching.

This paper examines how overt teaching is instrumental in reducing subject-verb agreement (SVA) errors of Malaysian EAP learners which in turn improves the quality of their writing. The researchers used overt teaching of these grammatical items, that is, SVA and investigated how this method has significantly benefitted the learners who were second year university students from different cultural and language backgrounds. Data was collected using a pre-test and a post-test. Even though the learners had spent more than a decade learning the English language since their early education, the data collected in the pre-test showed that they made gross SVA errors in their writing. Treatment in the form of overt teaching of SVA was given to the learners, after which the post-test was administered. The comparison of data of the two tests revealed significant improvements in the learners’ usage of SVA which resulted in improved quality of their writing. The major findings on the learners’ grammatical problems especially in SVA and their response to overt teaching prove that overt teaching enhances the quality of EAP writing produced by students

Verb-form errors in EAP writing

This study was conducted to identify and describe the written verb-form errors found in the EAP writing of 39 second year learners pursuing a three-year Diploma Programme from a public university in Malaysia. Data for this study, which were collected from a written 350-word discursive essay, were analyzed to determine the types and frequency of verb form errors. The subjects’ verb-form errors were identified and categorized under four category types: omission, addition, misformation and ordering. The findings revealed that the subjects made the most number of errors in the omission verb-forms in the area of the third person singular verb (-s/-es/-ies). This occurred when they tried to make the verb agree with the singular subject or plural subject by dropping the -s inflection from the third person singular verb or making the verb plural by adding the –s inflection, respectively. The frequencies of errors of addition and misformation were almost the same while verb-form errors of ordering had the least number of errors. The copula ‘’be’’ verb was a major problematic area. The subjects tended to over-generalize and, hence, either omitted the ‘’be’’ verb or used it wrongly. Errors in writing will affect the readability and quality of the piece of work. So, in this light, the subjects’ verb-form errors have to be identified so that they can be equipped with the basics of producing error-free writing

69th Issue Info Kampus UiTM Sarawak Buletin : Januari 2015 / Professor Dato Dr. Jamil Hj Hamali... [et al.]

A very happy 2015 to UITM staff and students. I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Chief Minister of Sarawak, Yang Amat Berhormat Dato Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Haji Adenan bin Haji Satem and the Vice - Chancellor of UITM,Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Dato' Sri Professor Ir. Dr. Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar, FASc for the continues support given to UITM Sarawak.To the staff, i thank you all for your cooperation and dedication which have contributed to the tremendous development made by UITM Sarawak.In addition, i also encourage UITM Sarawak student to work hard and excel in their studies

Verb-form errors in EAP writing

This study was conducted to identify and describe the written verb-form errors found in the EAP writing of 39 second year learners pursuing a three-year Diploma Programme from a public university in Malaysia. Data for this study, which were collected from a written 350-word discursive essay, were analyzed to determine the types and frequency of verb form errors. The subjects' verb-form errors were identified and categorized under four category types: omission, addition, misformation and ordering. The findings revealed that the subjects made the most number of errors in the omission verb-forms in the area of the third person singular verb (-s/-es/-ies). This occurred when they tried to make the verb agree with the singular subject or plural subject by dropping the -s inflection from the third person singular verb or making the verb plural by adding the -s inflection, respectively. The frequencies of errors of addition and misformation were almost the same while verb-form errors of ordering had the least number of errors. The copula ''be'' verb was a major problematic area. The subjects tended to over-generalize and, hence, either omitted the ''be'' verb or used it wrongly. Errors in writing will affect the readability and quality of the piece of work. So, in this light, the subjects' verb-form errors have to be identified so that they can be equipped with the basics of producing error-free writing