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INDONESIAN JOURNAL OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS
For many ethnic KadazanDusuns from Sabah, North Borneo, English is a third language after their mother tongue
and Malay. The burden of having to contend with an additional language frequently leads to errors, particularly
those caused by interference from the first language (L1). This study set out to identify the types and frequency of
English language errors and their correlations in the writing of KadazanDusun ESL students at Universiti
Malaysia Sabah. A further aim of the study was to establish which of these errors could be attributed to L1
interference. A total of 54 students with lower Malaysian University Entrance Test (MUET) band scores were
asked to complete a questionnaire and write a short essay on a designated topic. The language errors were
categorized and analysed via statistical analysis. Errors considered to be related to L1 interference were then
identified after consultation with an experienced KadazanDusun language lecturer. The most common errors
were those involving singular /plural nouns and unusual sentence structures. Approximately 25% of the errors
were attributable to L1 interference, i.e. mode (normal/involuntary), voice (actor (-ing form) /undergoer (-ed
form), overuse of article, linker (when linker is used, no article is needed), auxiliary verb and direct translation.
The findings of this study give ESL practitioners a better insight into student errors and should lead to improved
writing performance in the classroom.
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