English Writing Errors among University EFL Students in Somalia: An Error Analysis of Student Essays from a University in Mogadishu

Abstract

Background Persistent difficulties in written English remain a concern among university-level English as a foreign language (EFL) learners in Somalia, including students who have received English instruction for several years. This study examined the nature and patterns of linguistic errors in the written English of advanced undergraduate EFL learners in Mogadishu. Methods A qualitative single-case study design was employed at one university in Mogadishu, Somalia. The study analysed 59 compositions produced by Level 4 EFL undergraduate students through a controlled writing task in which students wrote about a festival in their country. The data were analysed using the error analysis approach associated with Corder, with errors identified, classified and explained. Following the surface strategy taxonomy, errors were grouped into grammatical, mechanical, morphological and semantic categories. Results The analysis revealed persistent difficulties across all four categories. Grammatical errors included problems with tense and aspect, subject-verb agreement, articles, prepositions and noun number, with addition, omission and misformation occurring frequently. Mechanical errors involved spelling, capitalisation, punctuation and orthography, while morphological errors reflected difficulties with word formation and word boundaries. Semantic errors were characterised by inappropriate word combinations, unclear relationships between ideas and constructions in which the intended meaning was difficult to recover. The findings indicate that difficulties with basic written English conventions persist even among Level 4 learners who had progressed through several years of English instruction. Conclusions The study demonstrates the need for continued, targeted university-level writing support rather than assuming that foundational English writing skills have been mastered at advanced undergraduate level. Regular diagnostic writing and focused feedback may help address recurring grammatical, mechanical, morphological and semantic difficulties.