error analysis: a study of errors committed by isizulu speaking ...

educators. According to Selinker, (1972) as quoted in McDough (1986), these
errors are classified into various types.
English is one of the recognised official languages in South Africa. It is
utilised by the majority of schools as a language of learning and teaching. The
majority of learners in South African schools are Black and they speak various
Black languages, which interfere with their learning of English as a second
language. The English produced by Black African learners only deviates from
the native norm and as a result there is what is known as South African Black
English (SABE).
There is thus a need to look into the present classroom practice in this
investigation. Teachers are therefore, concerned with the fossilised structures
in the language of their learners. These fossilised structures would be stabilised
and therefore, result in errors of what is internationally accepted English.
It is observed that children in rural areas start school very late since boys first
have to start by looking after cattle and girls first have to learn to do domestic
work and look after their younger siblings in preparation for womanhood.
Rural schools experience a lack of facilities such as pre-schools or crèches, and
as a result the majority of rural children go to school without having gone
through pre-schools. This is the opposite of what happens in the urban areas
where children are only taught the household chores, and others do not even
get that training since their families have house keepers who do everything for
them. in that way urban children start to attend school at an early age. At the
same time parents of urban children are mostly educated and have facilities
such as televisions. That being the case, urban children have better chances of
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