Ungrammaticality in Senior Secondary School Igbo Essay: An Example of Inland Girls’ Secondary School Onitsha

Abstract

This research aims at ascertaining the written grammatical errors of students of Inland Girls’ Secondary School, Onitsha who are lgbo LI speakers. The purpose of this study is to identify, analyze and explain the common written grammatical errors committed by the Igbo LI speakers of Inland Girls’ Secondary School, Onitsha in Anambra State, and to suggest the ways in which these errors can be corrected. Thus, a descriptive survey design was used for this study. Thirty-five (35) Igbo L1 speakers who were students from SSI (14) and SSIII (21) class formed the sample population for this study. The data for the study were generated using the students' written essays on the topics: "Edemede maka onwe m, Edemede maka ụlọakwụkwọ m, Edemede maka onyenkuzi m, Edemede maka obodo m na edemede maka onyeisi ụlọakwụkwọ m". The data collected were organized using a simple percentage method, and was analyzed using Corder (1967) theory of error analysis. It was discovered that the students committed many errors ranging from Omission of punctuation mark (52.01%), , English language interference (1.62%), wrong use of the article 'na' (13.13%), spelling errors (7.35%), omission of pronouns (1.39%), Wrong use of punctuation marks (15.35%), wrong use of verbs (0.18%), wrong use of pronouns (1.29%), omission of nouns (2.3%), omission of pronouns (0.14%), wrong use of nouns (2.14%), dialect interference (4.53%), word order displacement (1.03%), omission of the article 'na' (0.69%), and incomplete words/sentences (1.29%). In conclusion, we recommended among others that students should be engaged in competition with reward and also Igbo language teachers should be trained occasionally. All these will constitute to the developing of Igbo language.