Investigating Morphological Problems Encountered by EFL University Students in Using Inflectional Morphemes

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating morphological problems encountered by EFL university students in using inflectional morphemes. It is a descriptive-analytical study. The tool of the study was a diagnostic test. The test has been checked and confirmed for reliability and validity. The sample of the study was the students of the 4th year majoring English at Sudan University of Science and Technology, College of Languages. They were one hundred. Eighty of them were given the test and that twenty of them were absent. The data collected was statistically analyzed by the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) analytical program. The results of the study revealed that the students encountered difficulties and problems in using inflectional morphemes. Such difficulties were represented in forming irregular nouns, irregular verbs, irregular adjectives and polysyllabic adjectives. In addition to this the findings had shown that the students committed some mistakes. These mistakes were misapplication of rules and overgeneralization in forming irregular adjectives and irregular verbs. Moreover, the students have made mistakes in forming sentences with third person singular. The sentences had no subject verb agreement. These problems and difficulties led the researcher to recommend the following: Inflectional morphemes should be taught as independent courses. Remedial lessons and more practice on all inflectional morphemes are needed in order to solve these problems. Then the researcher has proposed some suggestions for further studies; More of which are on inflectional morphology should be carried out. Syllabus designers should include inflectional morphology in the university syllabus and more concentration on forming irregular nouns, irregular verbs and irregular adjectives. Educational institutions’ awareness should be raised about the importance of teaching inflectional morphemes for EFL university students.