The Systematic Errors of English L2 among Luhya L1 Learners in the Course of English Article System Acquisition

Abstract

This paper is a product of a study that was carried out examining the errors learners make when learning the English article system in secondary schools, conducted in Vihiga County, Western Kenya. The need to carry out the study arose from two main interests: one, the growing concern by various researchers that the English article is one of the elements of grammar that causes difficulties for the learners of English as a second language (SL) resulting on wrong uses by learners; and two, the fact that performance in English as a subject in national examinations has been dismal as reflected in Vihiga County results. The study was guided byfluctuation hypothesis and full transfer /full access hypothesis. The study adopted a pragmatic paradigm and a case study design to explain how learners construct their knowledge of L2 English article system in the context of L1 Luhya that is linguistically different from English. A mixed method approach was employed to allow for the use of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies leading to a better understanding of the article use phenomenon. The study sample included 6 schools purposively selected from three sub-counties and 24 students of Englishfrom these schools. The data collection instrument was a story-telling task. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The study revealed various types of errors. Thus, it is recommended that teachers adopt an eclectic approach in teaching the English article system. Theoretically, the study contributes to the advancement of knowledge about the learning of the English article system.