Grammatical Transfer Errors in EFL Writing: Impact of Spanish Influence, Proficiency Levels, and Task Types

Abstract

This study examines grammatical transfer errors in the English writing of Ecuadorian high school English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, focusing on the influence of Spanish as a first language (L1), English proficiency levels, and writing task types. Despite extensive research on L1 transfer, gaps remain regarding how proficiency and task complexity shape errors in Latin American adolescent learners. Using a mixed-method approach that combined contrastive analysis (CA) and statistical procedures, the study analyzed the prevalence of grammatical transfer errors relative to lexical errors in the writing of 180 purposively selected Ecuadorian high school students. Common grammatical errors influenced by Spanish were identified, with a specific focus on interlingual transfer. These errors were analyzed among learners at A1, A2, and B1 levels to explore proficiency effects. The study also compared grammatical error patterns between narrative and argumentative writing tasks to evaluate the role of task type. Findings indicate that grammatical errors—particularly in articles, prepositions, and pronouns—are more frequent than lexical errors and tend to decrease as proficiency increases. Furthermore, argumentative writing tasks resulted in more errors than narrative tasks, suggesting that task complexity affects error frequency. These results provide insights into common grammatical transfer patterns among Ecuadorian EFL learners, emphasizing the roles of proficiency and task type.

https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.5.19