Methods of systematic analysis of grammatical errors in EFL learners: organisation and classroom application
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Abstract
Grammatical errors constitute an integral part of second language development and offer valuable insights into learners’ interlanguage systems. Nevertheless, in undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, grammatical errors are often addressed in an unsystematic manner, primarily through ad hoc correction, which limits their pedagogical and research potential. This methodological article proposes a structured framework for the systematic analysis of grammatical errors in undergraduate EFL contexts, with particular attention to their organisation and application in the educational process. Adopting a methodological approach, the article outlines procedures for collecting grammatical error data from written and spoken learner production, presents a classification framework combining structural and source-based categories and examines the pedagogical use of error analysis through teacher correction, peer correction and self-correction. In addition, the study introduces a set of analytical instruments, including error classification tables, coding schemes and individual learner error profiles, designed for use in the empirical phase of a dissertation study. By systematising grammatical error analysis as both a pedagogical and research-oriented practice, the article contributes to EFL methodology and provides a practical foundation for evidence-informed feedback and empirical investigation of grammatical development.
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References
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