Lexico-Semantic Errors in Indonesian EFL Students' Argumentative Writing: Types, Causes, and Pedagogical Implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32493/pnp.v4i2.61944Keywords:
academic writing, error analysis, lexical semantics, semantic competenceAbstract
Academic writing requires not only grammatical accuracy but also appropriate and precise word choice. However, many English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students experience lexico-semantic difficulties that reduce the clarity, accuracy, and naturalness of their academic writing. This study aimed to identify the types of lexico-semantic errors in Indonesian EFL students’ argumentative essays, investigate the factors contributing to these errors, and discuss their pedagogical implications. A descriptive qualitative design was employed. The data consisted of 35 argumentative essays comprising approximately 10,500 words written by undergraduate students at Universitas Pamulang. Semantic errors were identified through document analysis and verified using the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (OALD) and academic writing references. Semi-structured interviews with 10 students were conducted to explore the underlying causes of the identified errors. The findings revealed 125 lexico-semantic errors classified into five categories: inappropriate word choice (38.4%), collocation errors (25.6%), literal translation (17.6%), misuse of synonyms (10.4%), and misuse of polysemous words (8.0%). The interviews indicated that first-language interference, limited academic vocabulary, and insufficient awareness of English collocations were the main contributing factors. These findings suggest that academic writing instruction should integrate contextualized vocabulary learning, collocation awareness, and semantic competence to improve students’ lexical accuracy and writing quality.
References
Ali, M., & Mohideen, H. (2012). Demonstrating lexical competence in language use. http://irep.iium.edu.my/25823/
Al-Quran, M. (2010). Concept-Based Grammatical Errors of Arab EFL Learners. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 37(1), 3–12. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ952292
Al-Shormani, M. Q., & Al-Sohbani, Y. A. (2012). Semantic errors committed by Yemeni university learners: Classifications and sources. International Journal of English Linguistics, 2(6), 120–138. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v2n6p120
Ananda, C. R., Mardiah, R., & Fajaryani, N. (2024). Writing argumentative essays: Jambi EFL students’ challenges and strategies. IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics), 9(2), 339. https://doi.org/10.21093/ijeltal.v9i2.1722
Bakhtiar, S., Wibowo, I. S., Rahmawati, R., & Priyanto, P. (2024). Analisis kesalahan berbahasa dalam teks akademik mahasiswa Thailand di Universitas Jambi: Kajian semantik. Deleted Journal, 11(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.30595/mtf.v11i1.20920
Carter, N., Bryant-Lukosius, D., DiCenso, A., Blythe, J., & Neville, A. J. (2014). The use of triangulation in qualitative research. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(5), 545–547. https://doi.org/10.1188/14.ONF.545-547
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Demana, N. V., Klu, E. K., & Maluleke, M. J. (2025). Collocation errors in the written essays of English second/foreign language learners: A scoping review. Journal of Education and Learning Technology, 800–808. https://doi.org/10.38159/jelt.2025697
Ellis, R. (2008). The study of second language acquisition (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Erdoğan, V. (2014). Contribution of error analysis to foreign language teaching. Mersin Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 1(2), 0. https://doi.org/10.17860/EFD.22900
Ginting, R. P. (2024). An analysis of linguistic errors in scientific articles of Indonesian language education students. Cerdika, 4(12), 1242–1257. https://doi.org/10.59141/cerdika.v4i12.2166
Harta, I. G. W., Bay, I. W., & Ali, S. W. (n.d.). An analysis of lexical collocation errors in students’ writing. https://doi.org/10.54923/transkata.v2i1.18
Hurford, J. R., Heasley, B., & Smith, M. B. (2007). Semantics: A coursebook (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Hyland, K. (2019). Second language writing (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
James, C. (1998). Errors in language learning and use: Exploring error analysis. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315842912
Merriam, S. B., & Tisdell, E. J. (2015). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Nation, I. S. P. (2013). Learning vocabulary in another language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Nguyen, T. (2024). Exploration of lexical collocations employed in EFL students’ essay writing. International Journal of Linguistics and Translation Studies. https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlts.v5i4.462
Pasaribu, A. N., Pasaribu, T. K., Siahaan, R. B., & Sitompul, D. S. (2024). Challenges for Indonesian EFL students in English academic writing. English Review: Journal of English Education, 12(2), 527–536. https://doi.org/10.25134/erjee.v12i2.9780
Rajab, A. S., Darus, S., & Aladdin, A. (2016). An investigation of semantic interlingual errors in the writing of Libyan English as foreign language learners. Arab World English Journal, 7(4), 277–296. https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol7no4.18
Ramón Torrijos, M. del M. (2009). Effects of cross-linguistic influences on second language acquisition: A corpus-based study of semantic transfer in written production. Revista de Lingüística y Lenguas Aplicadas, 4(1), 147–159. https://doi.org/10.4995/rlyla.2009.741
Rezai, M. J., & Davarpanah, F. (2019). The study of formal and semantic errors of lexis by Persian EFL learners. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(1), 41–47. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3607787
Saeed, J. I. (2016). Semantics (4th ed.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Tanaka, S. (2025). Lexical competence in second language learning: Defining lexical competence. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/d725c_v1
Ulviani, M. (2025). Linguistic challenges in Indonesian academic writing: An error analysis perspective. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17149119
Wakerkwa, D. A. P. (2024). Grammatical cohesive features in Indonesian EFL students’ argumentative essays. 2(01), 56–63. https://doi.org/10.70210/amrj.v2i01.63
