Overcoming error fossilization in academic writing: strategies for Saudi EFL learners to move beyond the plateau

• Published in: Asian-Pacific journal of second and foreign language education Vol. 9; no. 1; pp. 75 - 14
• Main Authors: Albelihi, Hani Hamad M., Al-Ahdal, Arif
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.12.2024; Springer Nature B.V; SpringerOpen
• Subjects: Academic EFL writing; Academic writing; Adult learning analysis; Applied Linguistics; Arabic language; College students; Content analysis; Corpus analysis; Cultural factors; Cultural Influences; Education; English (Second Language); English as a second language; English as a second language instruction; English as a second language teaching methods; English Language Learners; Fossilization; Grammatical agreement; Grammatical error; Interlanguage fossilization; Language Education; Language usage; Learning strategies; Limited English proficiency; Prepositions; Second language writing; Teaching and Teacher Education; Text analysis; Saudi Arabia; Grammatical error; Adult learning analysis; Interlanguage fossilization; Academic EFL writing
• ISSN: 2363-5169; 2363-5169
• DOI: 10.1186/s40862-024-00303-y

The current study explores error fossilization in the academic writing of Saudi English as a Foreign Language (EFL) undergraduate learners. A manual textual analysis approach, employing corpus content analysis on writing across diverse genres including argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays was conducted to discover the fossilized errors. The results showed that certain errors, such as idiomatic language usage and subject-verb agreement, appear to be fossilized, while others diminish over time. The study highlights specific instances of error fossilization, including challenges related to articles, idiomatic language, plural markers, negative markers, and prepositions. These errors are attributed to factors such as linguistic differences between Arabic and English, limited exposure to authentic language materials, and cultural influences. This study provides valuable insights into the complexities of error fossilization among Saudi EFL undergraduates. By understanding the factors contributed to these errors and their underlying causes, educators can develop tailored approaches to language instruction, ultimately enhancing English proficiency in similar contexts.