Investigation of word-formation errors in English writing by Uzbek EFL students

Abstract

This study investigates the challenges Uzbek learners encounter in English word formation due to significant morphological differences between their native agglutinative language and English's fusional structure. Common errors include incorrect affixation, overgeneralization, and improper part-of-speech selection, analyzed through Error Analysis and Surface Strategy Taxonomy frameworks. By examining a learner corpus of undergraduate essays, the research identifies systematic patterns in word-formation mistakes, highlighting the influence of L1 interference. It advocates for explicit instruction in word formation, emphasizing the teaching of word families, affix functions, and conversion rules. The findings suggest that targeted, structured feedback can enhance students' morphological awareness, thereby improving their writing quality and lexical resource scores in assessments like IELTS. This approach equips learners with the necessary skills to navigate the complexities of English and succeed in a global academic landscape, ultimately leading to enhanced writing proficiency and confidence.