EFFECT OF CONCORD ERRORS IN ESSAY OF STUDENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN IBARAPA CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OYO STATE

TOPIC IS SUITABLE FOR:
1-Department of English Language
2-Department of English and Literary Studies
3-Department of Linguistics
4-Department of Language Arts

TOPIC: EFFECT OF CONCORD ERRORS IN ESSAY OF STUDENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN IBARAPA CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT, OYO STATE

TABLE OF CONTENT
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Objectives of the Study
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual Review
2.2 The Concept of Concord
2.3 Types of Concord
2.4 Common Errors in Concord Usage
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the Study
3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique
3.4 Instrument and Instrumentation
3.5 Validity and Reliability of the Instrument
3.6 Procedure for Data Collection
3.7 Method of Data Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.1 Demographic Analysis
4.2 Analysis of Objective One: Possible Causes of Concord Errors
4.3 Analysis of Objective Two: Factors Influencing the Causes of Common Concord Errors
4.4 Analysis of Objective Three: Common Concord Errors among Senior Secondary School Students
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of the Study
5.2 Conclusions
5.3 Recommendations
5.4 Limitations of the Study
5.5 Suggestions for Further Studies
REFERENCES
APPENDIX  

ABSTRACT
This study was carried out to assess the effect of concord errors in the essays of students in secondary schools using selected schools in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State as a case study. The study was specifically carried out to identify the effects of concord errors in the essays of Senior Secondary School students, examine the possible causes of concord errors, determine the factors that influence the causes of common concord errors, and identify the common concord errors among Senior Secondary School students in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State. The study employed the descriptive survey research design. The study population comprised 185 students and teachers drawn from five selected secondary schools in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State. The questionnaire was used for data collection, while the data collected were analyzed using frequency tables, percentages, mean scores, standard deviation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. From the responses obtained and analyzed, the findings revealed that inadequate understanding of grammatical rules and negative transfer from the mother tongue were the major causes of concord errors among students. The study also showed that students’ attitude toward English learning, exposure to standard English, and teachers’ instructional methods significantly influenced the causes of concord errors. Likewise, subject–verb disagreement, misuse of plural and singular nouns, and confusion in collective nouns were identified as the most common concord errors, while concord errors were found to distort meaning, reduce clarity, and negatively affect students’ academic performance. The study concluded that concord errors have a significant negative effect on students’ essay writing and overall English proficiency. The study therefore recommends that English Language teachers should adopt more practical and student-centered teaching strategies, provide regular feedback on students’ writing, encourage consistent essay practice, and promote exposure to standard English usage to improve grammatical accuracy.
Keywords: Concord Errors, Essay Writing, Grammatical Accuracy, Secondary School Students, English Language.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION (Preview)
1.1 Background of the Study
English Language in Nigeria serves as the official language, second language as well as the medium of instruction and communication in educational institutions. Its invaluable position is attested to by the requirements set by various examination bodies that English has to be passed at credit level before a candidate is admitted to most Nigerian tertiary institutions. The English language in Nigeria has varieties as studied by many scholars like Brosnahan (2018) four varieties, Banjo (2011) four varieties, Bamgbose (2012) two varieties, Odumu (2017) three varieties and Jowitt (2011) three varieties. These varieties of English have great impact on the Nigerian students because, they listen to news on television and radio, read books, journals, newspapers and magazines written by authors who have used the Nigerian Standard English. It is also pertinent to note that the English Language has what we call formal and informal varieties that are, the written and the spoken form. In the written form, formal rules are applied strictly while the spoken form which is largely informal, these rules are not obligatory. The Nigerian English does not differentiate between formal and informal usage in speech; but keeps strictly to the formal in writing. From the various varieties of English discussed above, the Nigerian student who is a second language learner is confused or ignorant on which to use. The student might choose to use that variety which he/she is exposed to or that which is commonly used. 
The high prestige English language enjoys in the world has mainly two explanations. First, the British empire with its colonies in some parts of the world and Second, the united states as the leader of the field of economics. English has become a global language which is used in conference, science, film, music etc. In Nigeria, the English language has an important role in many areas of the economy. Since English language has become an international medium of communication among the people on earth, the mastery of good English is deemed as having an edge and can bring a lot of advantages in many ways. Ramelan (2012, pp. 2-3) supports this assertion when he states that “English as an international language is used to communicate, to strengthen and to fasten relationship among all countries in the world in all fields, for example: in tourism, business, science and technology etc”. Considering the importance of English, people from various non-English speaking countries learn English. This suggests the reasons for making the teaching and learning of English compulsory at all levels of education and also as an official language of the republic. In Nigeria, English has assumed a central position in our national life. Dakubu (2018) further explains that the country is linguistically heterogeneous as there are more than forty five (45) different indigenous languages. To break the language barrier, English has become an effective medium of communication in our multilingual setting.
Therefore, acquiring a high proficiency in English language in Nigeria is essential. It is for this reason that senior high school students in particular and Nigerians in general should be well equipped with the rules of the language so that they can function effectively and efficiently both in Nigeria and around the world. One important thing is the fact that grammar is an extremely important area in communicative proficiency. There is a slight distinction between grammatical errors in speech and writing. Incorrect use of grammar in speech is usually of less importance, because in speech, one can make oneself understood by adding gestures, body language, sounds etc. In contrast to speech, grammatical errors in writing may involve significant consequences, for example, the message can be misinterpreted or the writer will not be taken seriously. The reason why correctly used grammar is important in writing is mainly that the writer does not have the opportunity to correct the error, while in speech the speaker has a chance to correct the error immediately (Hedstrom, 2021, p.76). In order to convey meaning in communication, both in written and oral communication, one needs to fully equipped with enough mastery of grammar. Grammar is the bedrock of language, the harmony of language, as it is the one that makes language meaningful. For instance, if sentences are produced without correct grammar, it will not be understood by readers. Grammar is an inseparable component of language. For instance, Nunan (2019, p. 97) states that grammar is a description of the structure of a language and the way in which linguistic units such as words and phrases are combined to produce sentences in the language. 
Basically, grammar is the glue that holds several parts of the language together so that it can produce meaning in communication. Someone is considered successful in learning a language when they are able to communicate with ease in both oral and written form. The learner’s ability to construct well-structured and comprehensible sentences is a clear sign of good grammatical competence. The student may even use that which his/her teacher uses even when it is sometimes incorrect. These students have their individual Languages (L1) which have great impact on their English especially when expressing themselves in essays. As a result of students not being able to use English appropriately in the written form; there have been cries over the proficiency and performance of these students in the subject at the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) level. Therefore, the need to improve proficiency in English has led many studies on the use of English among students. Various scholars like Ofuokwu (2012), Anasiudu (2013), Banjo (2019), Olaofe (2016) among others studied the grammatical errors made in the written and spoken English of users of English in Nigeria. They all agree that errors vary in complexity and source. Many researchers carried out studies in the use of English among University students e.g. Ofuokwu (2012) and Olaofe (2016) in Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. While Olagoke (2011) and Anasiudu (2013) investigated the English of students of University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Likewise other researchers mainly in the field of linguistics pedagogue, have for sometime dwelt extensively on providing possible solutions to the problems militating against the smooth learning of the English language especially by second language learners. Areas of Syntax, Phonology, Morphology, Semantics and Literature in English (language) have continued to receive attention. In this effort, myriad problems relating to the wrong use of tenses, unacceptable operations in lexical constructions, poor pronunciation etc. are found among non-native speakers of English. These researches substantiate various assertions involving the low performance in English among Nigerian students. The various problems have also influenced the present study on the effects of concord errors in the essays of students in Ibarapa Central Local government Area, Oyo State. 
The desire to improve the use of concord in the spoken and written English of Senior Secondary students in Ibarapa Central Local government Area, Oyo State is the motivation behind this research. These errors have posed concern on the minds of teachers because they are committed by students who are supposed to have been exposed to the category (concord). Concord as a grammatical category confuses a lot of people who lack proper mastery of grammatical rules. Maclean (2011:42) says “carelessness” on the part of the writer or speaker as the major factor affecting a speaker’s speech or a writer’s article. As a result of the foregoing there arises a need to correct the misuse of concord among learners of English language.
Many students have difficulty grasping grammar, especially concord. Concord is important as the basic rule for students to produce and use sentences to communicate in daily life. Many students often do not understand why some sentences use have instead of has Some students still use “Moses and Jacob has” instead of saying “Moses and Jacob have”. All these problems arise since the students do not understand the right rules of the concord . The main cause is that English writing is linguistically different in many ways from the native language writing. Several complaints by teachers, stakeholders and the authorities’ at schools, at staff meetings on the students’ poor communicative skills, inform the researcher to take a critical look at the issue. Carefully delving into the students’ exercise books and terminal exams scripts, it was realised that the students have difficulties in the English language writing with respect to concord. It is against this background that this study is undertaken to identify the types of concord errors students commit, why they commit these concord errors and make some suggestions on how to minimize students’ concord errors in their writings.
Writing has always been considered an important skill in teaching and learning. For this reason, Rao (2007) stresses that writing is useful in two aspects: First, it motivates students’ thinking, organizing ideas, developing their ability to summarize, analyse and criticize. Second, it strengthens students’ learning, thinking and reflecting on the English language. Writing is also considered as the most difficult skill in language teaching and learning. This statement is affirmed by Widiate and Cahyono (2006) who state that writing is the most complex skill compared to the other three skills. Besides, the writing skill cannot be acquired in a short time. It requires the students to understand the spelling and punctuation, the sentence structures, the vocabulary, and the paragraph development. Due to this, students still commit errors when they have to express themselves or describe something in English, especially about the structure. In this case, the firm foundation in grammar is one important aspect that should be comprehended in order to make a well structured writing. Written language without grammar would be disorganised and causes such problems like grammatical errors in writing. Thus, students should have sufficient knowledge in grammar otherwise they will commit errors in the writing process. The researcher hopes that this study contributes to learning English as a second language. From the explanations, the researcher is interested in analysing concord errors in written essay by students of Ibarapa Central Local Government, Oyo State. This study is aimed at identifying concord errors in the written essays. The analysis is dwelt on common grammatical (concord) errors in students writing. The explanation for each writing problem is discussed under the given circumstances and contexts in order to explain why and how these concord errors occur in writing. Writing is very important as one medium of communication that can help people to have good socialisation, express people’s idea, feeling, and opinion. Writing still remains a critical area of the school curriculum and an important part of students' lives after school. It is based on this assertion that some employers insist that employees possess well-developed communication skills, including writing skills.
Concord errors found in the writings of students of English are part of learning process. It is impossible for students to learn a second language without making mistakes or errors because in learning such, committing error is common and acceptable. It is therefore important to note that in developing writing as a communicative skill, students should constantly be made aware that a particular topic in writing fit a particular situation and one should conform to a particular convention. The role of the language teacher, therefore, is to teach his students to master not only the language skills but also to master the standard language which is free from grammatical errors. The researcher hopes that this study gives contribution in learning English as a second language. 
Educational performance in language learning has been a subject of extensive discussion and research in linguistics. Despite the efforts put by the Educators, English language performance still remains poor. Olaniyan and Khalid (2013) reported that despite English being used as a first language in the country, students’ performance in the language still continued to be poor. Raising concerns of educator. Regionally, despite many interventions by the government towards improving the performance of English language among high school students, the efforts have proved insignificant. For instance, in Nigeria, Adeyemo (2010) points out n issues in education and emphasizes on the need to research n factors that may enhance English language performance.
The researcher has observed that earlier studies on the grammatical errors of Nigerian students have been treated generally. Various grammatical categories are treated in some studies like the use of tenses, verbs and prepositions. Concord has also been treated by researchers who have observed students of tertiary institutions like the Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities. In this study, the researcher looks at the effects of concord errors in the essay writing. It is observed that many students are either confused or ignorant of the use of concord. A number of concord errors are made by Nigeria students when writing essays. Most Nigerian students construct sentences that lack agreement between subject and verb, agreement between object and verb, pronoun antecedent, complementation and in tenses. It is obvious, that the teaching of grammatical structures happens to be the most fundamental aspect of language study and especially that of English. That is why, it is important to examine all aspects of grammar of English. This study, concentrates on concord in English Language. Therefore, there is the need for this research to observe some errors of concord in the essays of students in some selected Secondary Schools in Ibarapa central Local Government, Oyo State. It is expected that this study will reflect similar experiences in schools. 

1.2 Statement of the Problem 
Various writers, teachers and examiners have pondered over the rate of mass failure and poor performance of students at the Secondary School level in English Language. Adeyanju (2014) states: …however, many students at secondary and tertiary levels, as well as others in various professions have not mastered the English language structure usage, mechanics, and therefore communicate ineffectively. The wrong application of concord in student essays is a common feature in the spoken and written English of many Senior Secondary school students in Ibarapa and Oyo State at large. Concord errors affect the students’ overall ability to communicate and thereby, militate on their performance in public examinations. There is this general contention that the students’ failure to correctly use concord is due to insufficient knowledge of its functions. Various studies on concord have been based largely at the tertiary level, but not much work has been done on its usage in the expression of Secondary School Students in Oyo State. This  implies that the students’ knowledge of this grammatical category is limited or it is not properly handled at this level. It might be based on the forms of their indigenous language and the Nigerian English. This affects the production of correct sentences as those produced in their local languages are not applicable to English. Therefore, the wrong use of concord leads to lack of fluency in their expressions in essays and causes distortion and wrong interpretation of messages in any written and spoken discourse. This study will dwell on the effects of concord errors in student essays. 
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate on the effects of concord errors in the essays of students in Ibarapa Central Local government Area, Oyo State. 
Objectives of the Study 
The aim of the study is to expose the concord errors that student make as they attempt to write essays. The specific objectives of this study include  i.To identify the effects of concord errors in the essays of Senior Secondary School students in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State.
ii.To examine the possible causes of concord errors. 
iii.To determine the factors that influence the causes of common concord errors among Senior Secondary School students in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State.
iv.To identify the common concord errors amongst Senior Secondary School students in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State.
OTHER PARTS OF CHAPTER ONE INCLUDE:
1.4 Research Questions 
1.5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study 
1.6 Significance of the Study 
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms

CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE (Preview).
This chapter critically examines relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and, furthermore, recognizes the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps. This chapter, therefore, focuses on the concept of concord, the concept of concord errors, causes of concord errors in students’ essays, types of concord errors, effects of concord errors on students’ essay writing, strategies for reducing concord errors, etc. The chapter covers the following subheadings:

2.1 Conceptual Framework
2.2 Theoretical Framework
2.3 Empirical Review
2.4 Summary of Literature Review

CHAPTER THREE
 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (Preview)
Research Design: The study adopted a descriptive research design.
Population of the Study: The population of the study comprises male and female students and English Language teachers from five selected secondary schools in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Sample Size Determination: The study adopted a sample size of 185 participants.
Sampling Technique: The study employed a multi-stage sampling technique to select the individual respondents.
Research Instrument: The study utilized a structured questionnaire as the instrument for data collection.
Methods of Data Analysis: The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations to summarize and present the demographic characteristics of the respondents and their responses. Inferential statistics, such as ANOVA, were used to test the hypothesis.

CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
MAJOR FINDINGS (Preview)
i. The study found that poor comprehension of grammatical principles, negative transfer from the mother tongue, insufficient contact with standard English usage, poor teaching methods, absence of essay writing practice, and inadequate feedback from teachers are major causes of concord errors among secondary school students, as evidenced by the findings that poor comprehension of grammatical principles (80.7%), negative transfer from the mother tongue (72.9%), and insufficient contact with standard English usage (68.1%) were the leading causes.

ii. The study found that students’ exposure to English language usage, teachers’ qualification and teaching experience, socio-economic background, use of mother tongue at home, class size, availability of instructional materials, peer interaction, and students’ attitude and motivation towards learning English significantly influence the causes of common concord errors, as evidenced by mean scores ranging from 3.93 to 4.31, which are above the acceptance benchmark of 3.00.

iii. The study found that subject–verb disagreement, wrong use of verb tense and number, misuse of plural and singular nouns, confusion in the use of collective nouns, and wrong use of indefinite pronouns with verbs are the most common concord errors among senior secondary school students, as evidenced by frequencies of 21 (91.3%), 19 (82.6%), 18 (78.3%), 17 (73.9%), and 16 (69.6%) respectively.

iv. The study found that concord errors have serious negative effects on students’ essays, as evidenced by a grand mean of 4.39, which is above the acceptance benchmark of 3.00. The corresponding hypothesis test further showed an F-value of 1.412 and a p-value of 0.221 (p > 0.05), leading to the acceptance of the null hypothesis. This indicates that there is no significant difference in the opinions of English Language teachers regarding the negative effects of concord errors on students’ written expression.

CHAPTER FIVE:SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter covers the following outline:
5.1 Summary of the Study
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Limitations of the Study
5.4 Recommendation
5.5 Suggest for Further Research
References
Appendix

UPLOADED BY MIRACLE.