Punctuation And Capitalisation Errors Of Turkish Efl Students In Composition Classes: An Evidence Of L1 Interference

While writing composition, Turkish EFL students sometimes confront punctuation and capitalization problems due to their L1 habits. Although such problems can be ignored if the learner is not trained for teaching the target language in future, it is not the case, most of the time, for a teacher candidate or a person expected to work or use it for his or her carrier; in this sense proficiency in Target language(here English) is inevitable. In the present study, punctuation and capitalization errors of the students, studying at Kafkas University, in the Department of English Language and Literature, were determined and the errors stemming from L1 interference were recorded through exam papers as well as through inclass or out of class composition papers. A total of 300 papers written by 32, intermediate level students, (12 males, 20 females); attending the classes regularly, 225 papers written by 29 upper-intermediate level students (8 males and 21 females) were examined in this study. According to the result of the study both intermediate and upper-intermediate students committed fewer interference errors (20, 3 % and 17 %, respectively) than general errors and as the level increases, the rate of the interference decreases (20, 3 % for intermediate level students, whereas 17 % for upper-intermediate students)