Journal of Convergence for Information Technology (융합정보논문지)

Convergence Society for SMB (중소기업융합학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

An Error Analysis on Business E-mails in English : A Case-Study

비지니스 이메일 영작문에 나타난 오류분석: 사례연구

  • Received : 2018.10.08
  • Accepted : 2018.12.20
  • Published : 2018.12.31
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This study aimed at providing a comprehensive account of the sources and causes of errors in business emails that Korean college students wrote using a translation machine. Data were collected from 21 emails written by the students who took a business English course. Findings indicated that the students tended to make frequent errors in verb use and verb tense as well as a definite article, countable/noncountable nouns, time adverbs and prepositions. Therefore, the study suggested that the students' common errors imply that they experience some difficulties learning these linguistic features. Given that learners' errors can give us valuable insights into teaching and learning how to write in English, pedagogical suggestions are put forward based on the study results.

본 연구는 번역기를 활용한 영작문 수업에서 대학생들이 작성한 비즈니스 이메일 영작문에 나타난 오류를 분석하고 설명하려는 연구이다. 연구는 취업실무영어 수업을 수강한 대학생들이 3가지 과제에 대해 작성한 21개 이메일을 분석하여 이에 나타난 문법오류를 분석 정리하였다. 이메일에 나타난 문법오류를 살펴보면, 동사의 용법을 제대로 알지 못해서 발생한 언어 내 오류가 가장 빈번했으며, 완료 시제를 사용해야 하는 문장에서 과거동사를 사용하는 시제에 관한 오류와 명사 앞에 정관사를 사용하지 않은 정관사 오류와 전치사 잘못 사용한 오류와 같은 언어 간 오류도 있었다. 문맥과 관련된 오류를 보면 지칭하는 명사에 맞게 단 복수대명사를 제대로 사용하지 못한 오류라던가, 문장을 연결하다가 생략할 수 없는 주어를 생략한 오류는 의미전달에 문제가 될 수 있는 심각한 오류이다. 이러한 오류분석을 통하여 영어를 학습하고 있는 학습자가 특정한 문법사항을 학습하는 데에 어려움을 겪고 있다는 것과 학생들의 영어능력 발달단계를 가늠해 주는 정보를 제공함으로 연구의 의미가 있다고 볼 수 있다.

Keywords

Table 1. Analysis of grammatical errors

JKOHBZ_2018_v8n6_273_t0001.png 이미지

References

  1. M. Cha. (2017). Enhancement of SMB Global competency for overseas market entry. Journal of Convergence for Information Technology, 7(1), 11-16.
  2. I. Jo. (2018). The effect of machine translation on English writing instruction: Focusing on the writing self-efficacy and the writing quantity. The Jungang Journal of English Language and Literature, 60(2), 253-279.
  3. S. Y. Hwang. (2017). The effects of the translator program on English email writing. The Journal of English Language and Literature, 22(3), 261-283.
  4. V. Zamel. (1983). The composing processes of advanced ESL student: Six case studies. TESOL Quarterly, 17, 165-187. https://doi.org/10.2307/3586647
  5. S. Coder (1974). Error analysis. in P. B. Allen & S. P. Coder(Eds.), Techniques in applied linguistic, 122-154.
  6. Y. Kim. (1996). The aspect of peer students' error correction. English Teaching, 51(2), 125-147.
  7. Y. Park. (1999). An analysis of errors in second language writing by English learners at university. Studies in Language, 15(2), 73-89.
  8. H. Lee. (2017). An error analysis of English writing by college freshmen in Korea: Focused on interlingual and intralingual errors. Cogito, 83, 233-268.
  9. H. Y Lee. (1996). English article usage of native Korean speakers. English Teaching, 51(1), 163-179.
  10. J. Lim & E. Choi. (2008). A study of the effectiveness of error analysis and its practices in English writing for college students. English Literature, 13(1), 137-167.
  11. S. Kim. (1999). A study on the effective teaching materials of English writing through an error analysis. Educational Research Journal, 3, 95-124.
  12. S. Lim & M. Han. (2014). A case study on "Google Translate": The correlation between translation quality and units of translation in machine translation. Translation Studies, 15(1), 177-209.
  13. H. D. Brown. (2000). Principles of language learning and teaching(4ed.), New York: Addison Wesley Longman.
  14. S. Coder. (1967). The significance of learner's errors. International Review of Applied Linguistics, 5(4), 161-179.
  15. W. Y. Dai & D. F. Shu. (1994). Some research issues in contrastive analysis, error analysis and interlanguage. Journal of Foreign Language, .5, 1-7.
  16. H. Ringbom. (1987). The role of first language in foreign language learning. Multilingual Matters, LTD.