Analysis of Language Errors in The Writing Aspect of Observation Report Texts Students at MTS Pancasila

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the language errors contained in the observation report texts (LHO) of class VII A students of MTS Pancasila Tanjung Beringin and identify the causal factors to improve the quality of writing learning. This study uses a qualitative approach with descriptive methods and document analysis study types. The research data are in the form of 24 observation report texts written by class VII A students. The study found a total of 847 language errors from 24 essays (an average of 35.3 errors per essay). The distribution of errors based on category is: (1) punctuation errors 287 errors (33.9%); (2) sentence structure errors 180 errors (21.3%); (3) spelling errors 156 errors (18.4%); (4) diction errors 154 errors (18.2%); and (5) cohesion-coherence errors 70 errors (8.3%). The most dominant type of error was the use of commas (156 errors, 18.4% of the total), followed by subject-predicate mismatch (67 errors, 7.9%), and inappropriate word choice (89 errors, 10.5%). Analysis of the causes of errors revealed that errors were mainly caused by: (1) pedagogical factors (40%) - minimal emphasis on learning punctuation and sentence structure; (2) psycholinguistic factors (30%) - limited working memory and lack of attention when writing; (3) intralingual error (20%) - imperfect mastery of Indonesian language rules; and (4) interlingual error and sociolinguistic factors (10%) - the influence of everyday language and regional languages. Grade VII A students still experienced a high level of language errors in writing observation report texts, especially in the aspects of punctuation and sentence structure. The results can serve as a basis for teachers to design more targeted remediation programs and improve the overall quality of writing instruction