Computer-Aided Error Analysis for Contrastive Scrutiny: Grammatical Errors (GEs) in English Corpora Written by Chinese and Pakistani Students

This study compares the grammatical errors (GEs) made by non-English major undergraduate students from China and Pakistan, aiming to identify common and distinct types of error and to explore potential reasons behind them. By focusing on these two linguistically and culturally distinct groups, this research seeks to enhance understanding of cross-linguistic influences in second language acquisition. Using computer-aided error analysis (CEA) via triangulation verification of GEs, the study combines qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze errors in student compositions. The findings reveal that Pakistani students (PS) committed more grammatical errors than Chinese students (CS), with both groups showing similarities in error attributable to the influence of their first languages (L1). This research contributes to the field by highlighting the importance of addressing specific types of error in English language teaching and suggests practical strategies, including the development of targeted educational tools such as an Android application and worksheets so as to reduce these errors.