A Study of the Errors in Thai Essay Writing of Yuxi Normal University Students Studying at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University

Abstract

A research entitled, “A study of the errors in Thai Essay Writing of Yuxi Normal University Students studying at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University,” had the objectives to analyze the errors in Thai Essay Writing of Yuxi Normal University Students studying at at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University and to create a language usage skill exercise to correct mistakes in the Thai Essay Writing of Yuxi Normal University Students studying at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University. The population used in this

research consisted of Chinese Students studying in Master of Arts curriculum in the major field of Teaching Thai at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University in the Academic Year 2017. The population was selected by using the purposive sampling method, consisting of 36 Yuxi Normal University Students. The research instruments included the error analysis form in Thai Essay Writing in terms of the spelling of words, usage of words, sentence binding, usage of punctuation marks, usage of language, and essay writing patterns by checking the data from Thai Essay Writing. The statistics used in this research included Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC), frequency, and percentage.

            The results of the study showed that Thai essays written by Yuxi Normal University Students studying at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University were found the errors types as follows: 1) Regarding the spelling of words, the most common error was misspelling or adding totally 58 words, accounting for 38.41%.  2) According to the usage of words, the most common error was the use of 33 wrong words meaning, accounting for 47.83%. 3) Referring to the sentence binding, the most common error was the sentence binding without the necessary words and the incorrect order of the words in the sentence, totally 33 sentences, representing 24.8%. 4) Regarding the usage of punctuation marks, the most common error was the punctuation marks were not used totally 5 words, accounting for 71.43%. 5) According to the usage of language (sentence), the most common error was the use of spoken language totally 47 sentences, representing 51.09%. 6) Referring to the essay writing patterns, the most common error was the incomplete patterns

(incomplete 3 parts) totally 61 essays, accounting for 81.33%. The result of finding the appropriateness and consistency of  the language usage exercise from the essay writing errors of Yuxi Normal University Students studying at Chiang Rai Rajabhat University in the Academic Year 2017 was found at 0.77. The result of the quality evaluation was shown at 4.02, which was found in a good level, and which could be applied to practice writing skills for Chinese students.