Types of Errors in Upper Division French Students\u27 L2 Writing

This study attempts to determine what types of grammatical errors upper-division undergraduate French students make the most often in their writing. Grammatical errors are measured in two categories: form-based errors and meaning-based errors. Form-based errors are defined as errors in grammatical principals, such as conjugating a verb incorrectly. Meaning-based errors are defined as errors in appropriate word use to convey meaning, such as using an unnecessary word. Students were provided a brief writing prompt once a week and were given five minutes to answer it. Errors in these writing samples were marked using the Error Correction Symbols developed by Harmer. By recording errors over the course of the semester, the researcher found what type of error occurred the most in these writing samples, and sought potential pedagogical answers as to why that type of error is so common