The eleven essays in this book cover a wide range of topics from the role of 'interlanguage' and the influence of external factors on the process of language learning, to the development of syntax and the methodology of error analysis. Collectively they provide a valuable perspective on the learning process, which both enriches our theoretical understanding of the processes underlying second language acquisition and suggests ways in which teaching practice may best exploit a learner's skills.

Errors are information. In contrastive linguistics, they are thought to be caused by unconscious transfer of mother tongue structures to the system of the target language and give information about both systems. In the interlanguage hypothesis of second language acquisition, errors are indicative of the different intermediate learning levels and are useful pedagogical feedback. In both cases error analysis is an essential methodological tool for diagnosis and evaluation of the language acquisition process. Errors, too, give information in psychoanalysis (e.g., the Freudian slip), in language universal research, and in other fields of linguistics, such as linguistic change.This bibliography is intended to stimulate study into cross-language, cross-discipline and cross-theoretical, as well as for language universal, use of the numerous, but sometimes hard to come by, error analysis studies. 5398 titles covering the period 1578 up to 1990 (with work in more than 144 languages and language families) are cited, cross-referenced, and described. The subject areas covered are numerous. For example: Theoretical Linguistics (Linguistic Typology, Cognitive Linguistics), Historical Linguistics (Language Change), Applied Linguistics (e.g. Speech Disorders), Translation, Mother Tongue Acquisition, Foreign Language Learning (Negative Transfer, Intralingual and Interlingual Errors), Psychoanalysis (Slips of the Tongue), Typography, Shorthand, Clinical Linguistics and Speech Pathology, Reading Research, Automatic Error Detection, Contact Linguistics (Code-switching, Interference), etc.

First of all the author wants to make it crystal clear that the present work is of a great benefit both for the English and Arab learners of the target language either Arabic or English. This edition of the book pinpoints previous researchers' findings regarding English and Arabic phonological, morphological and syntactic similarities and differences and how all these differences result in mistakes and errors by the Arab learners of English in their learning process. These mistakes or errors are unconsciously or involuntarily made by Arab learners of English due to the differences between the system and sub-systems of the two languages. The present attempt is the result of my realization as an English language teacher as to how a teacher can minimize students difficulties in learning of English and maximize their knowledge, skills and competency of English as a foreign or second language. This is the first edition. The work is pedagogically oriented and primarily intended to make teaching-learning of English as a foreign/second language a bit easy especially for the first-year university students of English language in the Arab world: (Gulf area such as KSA, UAE, Kuwait, and the Middle East Area, such as Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and so on). The focus is on phonetic and morpho-syntactic variations in Arabic and English languages. This area of research becomes more interesting through the assumptions – (i) information about the differences and similarities between Arabic and English language is to be supplied at an early stage since this facilitates the students learning task, (ii) the differences are to be presented in pedagogically suitable format, (iii) it is useful to separate and present phonetics, morphological and syntactic categories as they function in suitable contexts and not merely abstract notions, (iv) before students may tackle contrastive analysis, they should have basic knowledge of Arabic and English languages similarities and differences and (v) pre-modification and post-modification of lexical and syntactic structures are to be explained appropriately.

Errors in Language Learning and Use is an up-to-date introduction and guide to the study of errors in language, and is also a critical survey of previous work. Error Analysis occupies a central position within Applied Linguistics, and seeks to clarify questions such as `Does correctness matter?', `Is it more important to speak fluently and write imaginatively or to communicate one's message?' Carl James provides a scholarly and well-illustrated theoretical and historical background to the field of Error Analysis. The reader is led from definitions of error and related concepts, to categorization of types of linguistic deviance, discussion of error gravities, the utility of teacher correction and towards writing learner profiles. Throughout, the text is guided by considerable practical experience in language education in a range of classroom contexts worldwide.

Gives you a unique 'hands-on' introduction to studying ESL learners' language using video interviews and footage of students doing language tasks Uses linked exercises in the book to guide you through the stages of analysing learners' language Provides full transcripts and an answer discussion section to help you to study and refer back to the input and explanations. Case study approach gives you the skills that will help you to explore learner language in your own classroom Recommended for TESOL Masters and Diploma students and language teacher educators