Analysis of Grammatical Error in Malay Language Writing by China International Students

Writing and speaking are important aspects in the teaching and learning of languages. The learning of Malay as a second language also emphasizes these aspects. However, writing is often identified as the aspect where international students frequently make mistakes. Therefore, this study aims to examine the types of language errors made by China international students who are learning Malay at the National University of Malaysia (UKM). The instrument used in this analysis is the students’ essay writing scripts. The students’ writings were analysed using a contrastive analysis approach and error analysis. A total of 250 essay scripts were analysed, all of which are from China students enrolled in the Malay language course at UKM. In addition, the study also employed the interview method. The study found that the errors made by students include aspects of morphology (uppercase and lowercase, misplace vowels and consonants), syntax (D-M Rule) and semantics (direct translation and loanwords). The interview findings revealed that 65% of the students agreed that their primary difficulty lay in distinguishing between sounds of letters that are very similar. The study suggests that emphasizing the role of teachers in guiding students, along with diversifying teaching techniques that can engage students’ interest in earnestly learning Malay, is crucial. This approach ensures that students do not take linguistic aspects lightly when learning a new language.