Some Reservations concerning Error Analysis

The argument over the relative merits of contrastive analysis and error analysis has persisted for some time. In general, proponents of error analysis have been more convincing. However, although the weaknesses of contrastive analysis have been extensively discussed, little has been said about the potential for corresponding weaknesses in error analysis. Six areas in error analysis which exhibit potential weaknesses are: (1) the analysis of errors in isolation; (2) the classification of identified errors; (3) statements of error frequency; (4) the identification of points of difficulty; (5) the ascription of causes to systematic errors; (6) the biased nature of sampling procedures. These together limit the usefulness of error analysis in describing the acquisition process of the second language learner. As a result the wisdom of using error analysis as the exclusive basis for the development of teaching materials is questioned.