WELCOME TO KENTERPRO:
ASSESSMENT OF PREPOSITION ERRORS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN PANKSHIN LGA AND ITS IMPLICATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The ability to write well lays the groundwork for future achievements in school, the workforce and the global economy. The value of teaching pupils to write well cannot be overstated in today’s information-intensive society. Good writing skills are no longer a nice-to-have but a necessary-to-survive requirement (Bolman, 2019). Writing is an important part of learning to read and write. Therefore, a high-quality education should place a premium on instructing students in the art of clear and effective written communication. Bolman made the observation that a school is failing if it teaches its students the required material without also providing them with the skills they need to communicate effectively in writing.

According to De Felice and Pulman (2008), the ability to put thoughts on paper ranks dead last among all linguistic abilities. Many people believe that it is the most challenging and complex skill to acquire. In an L1 environment, the first two skills will likely come more easily. Whatever the author’s message may be, it can be conveyed to readers effectively through this method. Writing, according to the same source, is just the arrangement of sentences to convey information about a topic. Writing, in contrast to speech, which can be picked up informally, intuitively and unconsciously, takes intentional and structured practise.

Learners’ writing has declined steadily over time and this has shown up in test scores both inside and outside of school. According to Khadijeh (2015), the quality of students’ written work and essays has been steadily declining over the past few years. This means that candidates’ expressions are weak and their vocabulary is restricted. Thus, it has become clear that students’ lack of writing ability is a major contributor to their low test scores in English language courses. Eissa (2013) argued that students’ writing needed to be corrected, particularly that of pupils learning English as a second language (L2), such as students in Nigeria. Experts on the subject of language agree that making mistakes is an integral part of the learning process (Ellis, 2003). In addition, additional research has shown that the instructional approaches taken by teachers are sometimes at odds with what students anticipate to learn (Habash, 2012). Here, the language instructor plays a crucial role in making sure that the approach taken improves pupils’ ability to put their thoughts into writing.

According to linguist Yildiz (2015), prepositions are the most esoteric and discrete group of English words. Both the prepositional complement and the rest of the sentence are expressing a relationship between two entities. A noun phrase, wh-clause, or -ing clause is typically the prepositional complement. For example, the book is on the table, Mary is not to blame for her actions and Nanpan read the instructions before setting up the system. Although they are generally polysemic in their sentence usage, prepositions are notoriously picky about the words they accept. Prepositions are notoriously challenging to master since they serve a variety of purposes and there are few guidelines for selecting the appropriate preposition for a given situation (Swan, 2005). Words and phrases work together to create new meanings and they take part in idioms. For example, the weather made him upset and I made Peret angry when I was late for our scheduled meeting. The verb form of a word may share a preposition with the adjective form, while the noun form may share a preposition with the noun itself. Examples include “sympathy with,” “sympathy for,” and “sympathetic to” (Thibeau, 2019). Many languages have fundamentally different syntactic features and semantic functions. Prepositions follow the complement (subject-object-verb) in languages other than English. Postpositions are what you would name them. They function as subjects in the subject-verb-object (SVO) structure of the English language, coming before nouns or their equivalents. Languages that use preposition include English, French, German and many more. Languages that use postposition languages include Korean, Turkish, Finnish, among others. Because there are no direct translations between English and the other languages, they pose a significant challenge to second language learners. In addition, many prepositions contain figurative and abstract connotations that can be challenging for a language learner to grasp. When a preposition is used with a noun, a verb, or an adjective, the challenge of picking the proper preposition becomes exponentially more challenging and there are no hard and fast rules for assigning prepositions. For example, “She relied on Max,” “like the other one,” and “the author of the book” all determine the prepositions “on,” “to,” and “of” in the sentence.

The complexity of prepositions lies in the fact that they can be used in a variety of ways, each with their own meaning. Students need to be taught to recognise the prepositions’ co-occurrence, collocation and discourse conduct.

Place, direction and time prepositions are the three main types of prepositions, as described by Sumaira, Waqas and Muhammad (2017). These prepositions present a novel challenge to both English language students and their educators. Students struggle with prepositional phrase usage and often find themselves in sticky situations. The fact that each preposition has its own distinct meanings and applications further adds to the difficulty of learning them. Prepositions are frequently employed in English to indicate location and time (Ruziah, 2006). Second language learners may struggle with prepositions because of their geographical and temporal purposes. According to Richards (2014), a spatial preposition describes the actual location of one physical object in relation to another. Each preposition has a specific spatial meaning that is described by two terms: the trajectory (TR) and the landmark (LM). For instance, the ball is down. The preposition on serves as a directional preposition in this context. The object whose location the speaker wishes to indicate is meant by the phrase, the ball. The preposition’s referent is referred to here. The prepositional phrase “the table” is a reference to the Landmark in the statement. The table is the Landmark and the ball is the Subject, thus the preposition places the ball in its proper location. There are two main types of spatial prepositions: those that specify a fixed location and those that specify a particular course of action (Hamzah, 2012). It is clear if a preposition describes a location or a direction when it comes after a verb. When John waits for his friend at the store, for instance, we understand that “at” indicates that the business has a fixed location. In sentences like “The dog jumped at my face” and “We have arrived at the park,” at stands for either a direction or a final destination. Although there are few spatial prepositions, they express a wide range of locations and directions. This sheds light on the difficulty posed by the ambiguity and vagueness inherent in the use and comprehension of geographical prepositions (Khadijeh, 2015). Time prepositions often imply a metaphorical expansion beyond the realm of location. When compared to location prepositions, time prepositions are quite regular and straightforward.

It is in the light of the above discussion that this study seeks to make an assessment of preposition errors among senior secondary school students in Pankshin Local Government Area and their implication on teaching and learning of English.  The use of correct prepositions is an essential aspect of English grammar and writing, as they help to establish relationships between different parts of a sentence. However, preposition errors are common among students, particularly at the senior secondary school level. As students progress in their academic careers, they are expected to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency in their use of prepositions. The assessment of preposition errors among senior secondary school students is a crucial area of research, as it helps to identify common mistakes and develop effective strategies for improving students’ grammar skills. This assessment involves the analysis of written language produced by students, in order to identify errors in their use of prepositions.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

            Despite the significance of preposition skills in English language learning, senior secondary school students in Pankshin LGA have been observed to make frequent errors in the use of prepositions. This observation was made when the researcher embarked on teaching practice exercise. These errors can be attributed to several factors, such as inadequate language instruction, lack of exposure to English language materials and the influence of the students’ first language. However, the extent and nature of these errors among senior secondary school students in Pankshin LGA have not been adequately investigated.

Therefore, there is a need to assess the preposition skills of senior secondary school students, with a particular focus on the frequency and types of errors made. This assessment will provide insights into the factors that contribute to preposition errors among students in the region and inform the development of effective strategies to improve their preposition skills. The findings will also have implications for English language teaching and learning in the region, as they will guide the development of targeted interventions to address preposition errors among students.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

            The main aim of this study is to make an assessment of preposition errors among senior secondary school students in Pankshin LGA and its implication for English Language teaching and learning. The specific objectives are:

1. To classify errors in the use of preposition among the students.
2. To determine the most frequently occurred prepositional error committed by the students.

• To find out which preposition is the most difficult to students.

1. To proffer solution to these prepositional errors made by the students.

1.4 Research Questions

            The following research questions were formulated to guide the study:

1. What are the classification of errors made by students in preposition?
2. What is the most frequently occurred prepositional error committed by the students?
3. Which is the most difficult preposition?
4. What is the solution to these prepositional errors made by the students?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study is significant in several ways.

Firstly, the study will help to identify common preposition errors made by senior secondary school students in Pankshin LGA. By identifying these errors, teachers can focus on developing targeted teaching strategies that address specific needs. This approach will ensure that students receive the necessary support and guidance to improve their preposition skills.

Secondly, the findings of the study will guide the development of more effective teaching strategies to improve students’ preposition skills. Teachers can use the results of the study to design teaching materials and activities that specifically target common preposition errors. This will enhance the quality of English language instruction and learning in the region and ensure that students have the necessary skills to communicate effectively in written and spoken English.

Thirdly, the study will provide insights into the effectiveness of the current English language curriculum in addressing preposition errors among students. The findings can inform the development of a more relevant and effective curriculum that meets the needs of the students. By addressing preposition errors, students will be able to communicate more effectively, leading to better academic and professional success.

Fourthly, improved preposition skills will enhance students’ ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken English. Effective communication is essential for academic and professional success and the study’s findings will help to improve students’ overall language skills.

Fifthly, the findings of the study can inform policy formulation on English language teaching and learning in Pankshin LGA and other regions with similar socio-economic and linguistic contexts. Policymakers can use the results of the study to develop evidence-based policies and interventions that address preposition errors and improve overall language skills among students.

Finally, the study will contribute to the body of knowledge on preposition errors among senior secondary school students in Nigeria and the implications for English language teaching and learning. The study’s results will be useful to researchers, practitioners and policymakers in the field of English language teaching and learning. The study can also serve as a reference for future research in the field.

Overall, the study’s significance lies in its potential to improve the quality of English language teaching and learning in Pankshin LGA and contribute to the development of effective policies and interventions in the field. The study’s findings can also be used to improve language skills among students, leading to better academic success.

1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

            The study will focus specifically on senior secondary school students in two schools within the Pankshin Local Government Area. The study will assess preposition errors made by students in their written and spoken English and analyse the implications of these errors for English language teaching and learning. The study will be limited to preposition errors and will not cover other aspects of the English language. The sample size will also be limited to students in two schools within the Pankshin LGA, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other regions and populations. The study will use a mixed-methods approach, including both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. Qualitative data will be collected through interviews with English language teachers to gain insights into their teaching strategies and perceptions of preposition errors among students. Quantitative data will be collected through preposition tests administered to the students to identify common preposition errors. The study will also be limited in its time frame and resources available for data collection and analysis. The study will be conducted over a period of three months and will be limited by the available resources for data collection and analysis.

1.7 Theoretical Framework

One possible theory that can be used to guide this study is the Error Analysis Theory. The Error Analysis Theory, developed by Corder (1967), focuses on analysing and understanding the errors made by language learners in order to gain insights into the underlying causes of these errors.

According to the Error Analysis Theory, errors made by language learners are not random but rather systematic. These errors can provide valuable information about the learner’s interlanguage, which is their developing language system. By analysing the types and patterns of errors made by learners, educators can identify the specific areas that require instructional focus and intervention.

Applying the Error Analysis Theory to the assessment of preposition errors among senior secondary school students in Pankshin Local Government Area would involve collecting and analysing data on the types of preposition errors made by the students. This could be done through the administration of a preposition error identification test, as used in previous studies mentioned earlier. The data collected would then be analysed using descriptive statistics, such as frequency counts and percentages, to determine the most common types of errors.

Based on the findings, educators can gain insights into the specific preposition errors that are prevalent among senior secondary school students in Pankshin Local Government Area. This information can inform instructional practices and curriculum development, allowing educators to design targeted instruction and practice activities aimed at addressing these specific preposition errors.

In summary, the Error Analysis Theory can serve as a theoretical framework for assessing preposition errors among senior secondary school students in Pankshin Local Government Area. By analysing the systematic nature of these errors, educators can gain insights into the students’ interlanguage and tailor their instruction to effectively address these preposition errors.

1.8 Operational Definitions of Terms

            Assessment: In this study, assessment refers to the process of evaluating or measuring the preposition skills of senior secondary school students in Pankshin LGA.

Preposition: A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. For the purpose of this study, preposition errors refer to incorrect usage or placement of prepositions in written or spoken English by senior secondary school students in Pankshin LGA.

Senior Secondary School: Senior secondary school refers to the final three years of secondary education in Nigeria, typically for students aged 15-18 years old.

English Language Teaching and Learning: English language teaching and learning refer to the process of teaching and learning the English language, including the development of language skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Implication: Implication refers to the consequences or effects of preposition errors on English language teaching and learning in Pankshin LGA.

Curriculum: Curriculum refers to the content and structure of the English language courses taught in senior secondary schools in Pankshin LGA.

Teaching Strategies: Teaching strategies refer to the methods and approaches used by English language teachers in senior secondary schools in Pankshin LGA to teach preposition skills to their students.