Investigating Grammatical Errors in the Spoken English of Freshmen at Panjshir University’s Faculty of Education

Abstract

This study examined grammatical errors in the spoken English of first-year EFL students at the Faculty of Education, Panjshir University, Afghanistan. The purpose of the study was to identify the types and causes of grammatical errors in students’ oral production. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed. Thirty undergraduate students enrolled in the Speaking I course (2024 cohort) were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through structured interviews and audiorecorded with participants’ consent. The recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using Dulay, Burt, and Krashen’s (1982) Surface Strategy Taxonomy, which categorizes errors into omission, addition, misformation, and misordering. To enhance credibility, follow-up interviews were conducted to explore the underlying causes of the identified errors. The findings revealed 443 grammatical errors. Omission errors were the most frequent (235 cases, 53%), followed by addition errors (78 cases, 17%), misformation errors (67 cases, 15.12%), and misordering errors (63 cases, 14.22%). The results suggest that insufficient grammatical competence, limited exposure to authentic English, interlingual interference from learners’ first language, intralingual factors, and overgeneralization strategies contributed to students’ errors. The study highlights the need for more focused grammar instruction within the communicative speaking course.