Abstract:
The objective of this research is to identify the patterns of errors in the use of
appropriate verbs in Sinhala spoken by Tamil native students. Within the
field of second language research, a large number of studies have focused on
error analysis. One of the most difficult challenges faced by second language
learners of Sinhala is mastering the use of appropriate verbs. Error analysis
is crucial for evaluating language application. Thus, data for this study were
collected from specific speaking activities which were partaken by a random
sample of 50 Sinhala language learners. The Sinhala conversation of Tamil
native students was directly observed using recording materials. Both
qualitative and quantitative methods were used to analyze primary data. All
the identified errors were classified into two sub-types based on the surface
structure taxonomy of errors, namely, substitution, and addition. Further, the
findings related to the types of errors were compared with the source of those
errors. The result of the study revealed wrong substitution to be the main
category where students tend to make most of the errors. Thus, this research
hopes to support in preparing appropriate teaching and learning materials for
Tamil native students who wish to learn Sinhala as a second language.
