Exploring Writing Errors in the Department of English at the University of Tripoli: A Comprehensive Study to Enhance Teaching Strategies

Abstract

This research aims to explore the writing errors among undergraduate students in the Department of English at Faculty of Education, University of Tripoli. The study’s purpose is to identify and analyse common written errors made by 20 English majors to develop strategies that can enhance writing proficiency for both students and educators. The objective of the study is to analyse these errors, determine their frequency, and propose effective teaching strategies to minimise them. This research provides insights into the challenges that Libyan EFL undergraduate students face, allowing educators to amend their pedagogical methodologies. The study follows a qualitative design, focusing on in-depth error analysis. Data were collected from 20 academic assignments written by 20 female undergraduate students and native speakers of Arabic, studying in the Department of English at University of Tripoli. The identified errors were categorized into mechanical, grammatical, lexical, semantic, and syntactic categories based on the theoretical framework of the study. The analysis found 78 errors in total: mechanical errors were the most frequent (56%), followed by grammatical (15%), syntactic (10%), semantic (10%), and lexical errors (9%). The high incidence of mechanical errors highlights the need for reinforcing foundational writing skills. The findings underscore the necessity of amendments to writing instruction, addressing all error types. Implementing targeted strategies can improve students' writing proficiency, leading to better academic and professional outcomes