JOURNAL

“Interferences Performed on Students’ Writing of English Department”

Arranged by:

Iftah Khaerin

1155030098

ENGLISH LITERATURE

ADAB AND HUMANITY FACULTY

ISLAMIC STATE OF SUNAN GUNUNG DJATI UNIVERSITY

 “Interferences Performed on Students’ Writing of English Department”

An Undergraduate Thesis Journal

By
Iftah Khaerin
Student ID: 1155030098

This is to certify that this undergraduate thesis journal has been approved by the thesis’
supervisors and will be uploaded in English Literature Department website.

Supervisor I Supervisor II

Dr.Heri jauhari, M.Pd Dian Nurrachman,S.S.,M.Pd

NIP. 196301031997031001 NIP. 198008132005011004
 ““Interferences Performed on Students’ Writing of English Department”

Iftah Khaerin (1155030098)

English Studies Department, Adab and Humanities Faculty, Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan
Gunung Djati Bandung.
Supervisors: 1. Dr.Heri jauhari, M.Pd 2. Dian Nurrachman,S.S.,M.Pd

ABSTRACT

The research was examined about interferences that performed on students’ writing of
English department. The interference was influenced by the first language and second
language acquisition. In addition, the study attempts to use qualitative approach. The data
were collected by documents. The data, then, were analyzed through identification,
categorizing, describing and drawing conclusion. In identifying interferences on writing,
the researcher used the second language acquisition theory. Interferences occurs caused of
the students still used back to the first language, limited vocabularies and needs synonym it
relates with second language acquisition that refers to performed L1 transfer or negative
transfer sensitively.

Keywords:Language interference, writing

INTRODUCTION

Language is very important for us as human being to make an interaction. In addition,

language can be used means to get some information, science, and culture sector in a
region, country and people. The needs of people who have cultural background and
interaction between one another throughout the history of highly developed extensively and
thoroughly. In sociolinguistics the language is a system, means, language is formed by
some of components pattern regularly and can be enforced. Abdul Chaer [CITATION
Abd13 \n \t \l 1057 ] said “Language is dynamic, means, it depends of modification
possibility occurred in phonology, morphology, syntactic, semantics and lexical.”
Therefore, the general language functions are as a tool of communication in the society as
integration and adaption tool that states people who lived in common, as a social control of
communication that gives understanding each other, as self-condition understanding and
identify tool, as self-expression, as understanding around people, as logical thinking tool, to
construct intelligence, as profession developing, and as language creates innovation.

Discussing of language function also in each countries have many languages for
communicating and Indonesia has the unifier language is Indonesian language to give
understanding among languages that exist such as Sundanese, Javanese, Batak, Betawi and
others. In sociolinguistics, language types related of external factors are sociological,
political, and cultural. Language types base on acquisitions are mother tongue or first
language as family used or learned, second language, third language and foreign language
is used as the second language for children besides it is political caused used of other
countries.

Many Indonesian students can be said expert to the English conversation and
pronunciation. They are the people who learn and use English as their second language.
The people who are able to use two languages are called bilingual. Bilingual first
introduced by Bloomfield [CITATION Placeholder1 \n \t \l 1057 ] which is defined, “as
the mastery of two languages as native speakers in bilingualism.” In fact, the possibility for
someone to use second language as well as first language was very little, if any, perhaps
rare. As the English students ability would not be equal or more than English native speaker
because of using mother tongue habitually and it learned since was children by the
grammar, syntactic and pronunciation. Therefore, the habitual of using mother tongue gives
the effect to the language target is called interference.

According to Weinreich (1979: 1) “interference is deviation in the use of the

language to the norms because of language contact or further comprehension of a language
and used interchangeably by the speakers." as explained that interference is performed by
bilingual. The lower ability to use second language than the first language is called
compound language skills. In Linguistics, interference belongs to language transfer that
refers to the first language feature into second language and it caused of the limitation of
First language speaker about native level of target language for example is word “Lidah
Buaya” if translated into would be “crocodile tongue” but it should be “Aloe Vera.” Jendra
(1991: 108) distinguishes interference into five aspects of language. These five aspects of
language in the language interference are: Interference in the field of system sounds
(phonology), Interference with the formation of the word grammar (morphology),
Interference on the sentence grammar (syntax), Interference with vocabulary (lexicon),
Interference in other areas of the meaning (semantics).

Warsiman (2013: 89) explain on his book that, “The mastery of two languages are
known as Compound Bilingualism and Coordinate Bilingualism.” Compound bilingualism
is the using of two languages equally well, means, it is using influenced by their parents
who use two languages alternately and continuously. While the coordinate bilingualism is
using of two languages in different condition, means, the people who mastering the first
language by their family since was child and the second language was obtained by the
formal place as school so exchanges rarely. Haugen (in Warsiman, 2013: 76) states that,
“Knowledge two languages are bilingual”. To show the bilingualism the people must not
use two languages actively but a completely passive bilingualism, understanding without
speaking.

The use of language alternately by the same speaker is language contact. It creates
influencing on a language or called interference. Interference is the existence of the first
language influence on the second language. Bates, et.al (1993) in McMartin-Miller (2014:
25) divides errors into two types. In this case, the researchers of error analysis can note
these types for consideration in determining the errors that will be analyzed. The first ones
are the errors that cause the proficient speaker of a target language to misinterpret the
message conveyed. This is called a global error. These global errors include incorrect verb
tenses, verbs incorrectly formed, incorrect use or formation of modal verbs, incorrect use or
formation of conditional sentences, incorrect sentence structure, incorrect word order,
incorrect connectors, incorrect use of the passive voice, and unclear messages. The second
type are the errors that are less serious than global errors, but still make the sentence
structure appear awkward, which include incorrect subject-verb agreements, incorrect or
missing articles, problems with the singular or plural of nouns, wrong word choices, wrong
word forms and no idiomatic or not appropriate collocation expressions. Interference is the
errors that used back to the first language, while the learners use the second language
(Bhela, 1999: 22-31).

Second language acquisition (SLA) has developed into a wide reaching in

somewhat amorphous field enquiry, drawing on and contributing to a number of distinct
discipline-linguistics, cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, sociolinguistics and
education (Eliis, 1994: 20). Language acquisition performed by a child or adult is a gradual
process for them to obtain a second language both in oral and written. According to Ellis
(Emy et al., 2017: 50) reveals that the second language acquisition is a complex process
and includes many interconnected factors. In the second language acquisition, the people
who master two languages will perform interference in speaking or writing potentially.

This research was designed as qualitative approach at UIN Sunan Gunung Djati
Bandung of English department. It was aimed at describing of interferneces in adjectives
order that performed in their English writing. The data were collected through interview
from students. The material of the writing was designed to measure the students’ ability in
English writing and to obtain why the interference occurs especially. Subsequently, the
finding data were analyzed based on the data of documents that have obtained through
identification, categorizing, describing and drawing conclusion.

DISCUSSION

Based on the data that the researcher got from the students’ English that contains
interferences. This was clearly shown in the way that the learners used their Indonesian
language components in English writing. As stated Jendra (1991: 108) distinguishes
interference into five aspects of language. These five aspects of language in the language
interference are: Interference in the field of system sounds (phonology), Interference with
the formation of the word grammar (morphology), Interference on the sentence grammar
(syntax), Interference with vocabulary (lexicon), Interference in other areas of the meaning
(semantics).

Student 1

When I reached the top I was able to see a very blue, large, and amazing sky.

It indicates the interference of adjective order. Adjective order is arrangement of

adjectives before noun. While in Indonesian has no adjective order as English. In a word
between the very and and. These two words should not be in adjective order if the same
types of adjectives not exist in one sentence. So it caused of the student has limited of
English structure. so the structure above is not using an adjective order.

Student 2

I am the one who is black, little, dirty, curly hair, and short.

There is a tendency, Indonesian native speakers made syntactic interference in the

phrase construction and the diction in the sentence. Phrase interference occurred due to the
construction of the phrase in the Indonesian language interference into English used by
respondent. In the sentence, respondent uses relative pronoun who to connect between the
headword and more than one adjective. In English, have adjective order rules that used to
arrange the adjective before noun. It indicates that students disloyalty to target language so
that still use the first language structure in English.

Student 3

there were very much foreigners who were beautiful, intelligent and talented.

It indicates grammatical interference caused the students still use the first language
structure as in Hartman and stork states that Interference is not language “disturbance”, but
it is the “mistake or error” that occurred by the involved of the first language habitually into
second language. The error here, the students use adverb very much and foreigners. The
suffix s it describes more than one foreigner then it useless of very much if used. It means
occurs in morphological interference.

Student 4

says she is a beautiful, kind and has black long hair also clever and friendly

it indicates interference caused the respondent has disloyalty to target language structure.
the respondents does not use it causes of still using first language structure, such also
clever and friendly it should be placed before the adjective beautiful, kind and has black
long hair cause it includes of adjective opinion. Error here caused of the respondent innate
the first language into second language acquisition.

Student 5

I have seen a man with sweat smile, short hair and good character.

From this sentence there is an error in grammatical. The using the word with preposition
used to connect the adjectives. The error is interference caused by disloyalty to target
language. This will lead to disobedience to target language structure and further force the
bilingual to put uncontrolled structure of his first language elements to output in practicing
words utterances both oral and written. Here, the structure above can be seen by the phrase
a man with sweat smile.

Student 6

last month, my father bought a classic new car with grey color from German, I really like
it!

Here, indicates the grammatical interference of adjective order. In the sentence with grey
color from German it has the adjectives from the word grey and German. Here, caused of
the respondent limited of knowledge about English grammar adjective order then it still
used back to the first language structure as in Bhela states (1999) Interference is the errors
that used back to the first language, while the learners use the second language.
Student 7

I see the Japanese woman are very beautiful natural.

Here, indicates interference by two causes is needs synonym and disloyalty to target
language as in Weinreich (1979). The respondent must know that the sentence above states
a natural beauty of Japanese woman means, the word beautiful natural states a noun and
should be natural beauty not use the word beautiful by this statement it indicates that
respondent needs synonym of the word beautiful. Besides that, word beautiful natural is
interference by L1 transfer as according to Bhela (1999) it used back to the first language.

Student 8

the vast sky was orange and amazing

It can be seen that indicate the lexical interference and adjective order. The lexical
interference here caused of the respondent use the word vast to describe the sky. It causes of
limited vocabulary and needs synonym. In addition, the respondent still use the first
language structure cause it found more than one adjectives should be arranged by the
adjective order structure.

Student 9

says the shape is thin and expensive glossy black box

It indicates interference clearly by the L1 transfer. The use of shape is and the noun here is
about mobile phone and found more than one adjective that can be arranged as the adjective
order rules but it caused of L1 transfer, in English this sentence has an error and interferes
into second language. It refers to Ellis states that,”the influence that the learner’s first
language exerts over the acquisition of a second language.”

Student 10

I like him, a man who has face in Arabic, his curly black hair is in shoulder length.
It indicates of negative transfer of the second language. The sentence a man who has face
in Arabic it can be more simply if the respondent uses adjective order rules it can be an
Arabic man. It appropriates with the statement of Decherts & Dllis (in Bhela) says when
second language students want to write or speak in the target language, they tend to rely on
their first language structure. If the structure is different, many errors occur in L1 indicating
the first language interference in the second language. It indicates also in the sentence his
curly black hair is in shoulder length.

Student 11

I have a cat. She has white and floffy.

In the sentence above, describe about cat physically. The word white and floffy
means describe of the cat hair. The error here caused of lexical and grammatical
interference. Lexical interference here, the respondent used the word floffy not fluffy. Then,
the grammatical interference is by the structure used is not adjective order. It more
appropriate to be a fluffy white cat. The error or interference is suitable by Jendra
statements that, “distinguishes interference into five aspects of language.” two of them are
lexical and grammatical interference.

Student 12

I think he is handsome man despite his grey hair, he has beutiful brownish eyes and sharp
nose.

It indicates an error or interference by the structure and word that used. In the word of grey
hair In English is should be gray hair it causes of typing error or lack of vocabularies by
the respondent. The second that is the structure is not English adjective order. It found more
than one adjectives such as handsome, gray, beautiful, brownish and sharp nose. It should
be arranged by the adjective rules in English but because in the first language has no rules
to arrange it. Therefore, it uses an transfer that give negative transfer.
 In Matras states that Transfer and interference have traditionally been regarded as
negative in the learning process events in the learning process and as manifestations of
failure to acquire the correct structure of the target language. Here, the respondent cannot
utter in the target language structure and gives the negative effects.

Student 13

he is a handsome man with short black hair and big muscular body.

It indicates first language structure rely into second language so it gives the
negative effects into English structure. The phrase big muscular body means it connect to
the lexical. Here, the respondent needs synonym to describe the people with big muscular
body in adjective. As according to Wenreich, “Interference as the effect of new words
entries is normally done by another language learner. A learner‟s new word entries from
target language as the effect of interference will be easily internalized and integrated as
those new words are received after the learner made mistake in delivering words of target
language.” to change the phrase a big muscular body it more appropriate use the adjective
strong.

Student 14

The area is very lonely dark and wide and far from anywhere

it indicates L1 transfer or interference that give the negative effect into second
language structure. There are conjunction of and using twice in one sentence and it is in
English is wasting words. If the student knows the adjective order in English structure
correctly. It does not indicate any interference or error. This error occurs caused of
interference as according to Dulay (1982) that, “interference as automatic transfer, due to
habit of the surface struture from the fisrt language onto the surface of the second
language.”

Student 15
says the boy who black skin, ugly stupid curly hair like worms.

It indicates first language transfer by the word boy as head-noun should be placed after
adjective arrangement because there are more than one adjective in the sentence. Therefore,
in English it includes adjective orders rules but the respondent does not use. The transfer
here called interference and according to Dulay (1982) interference as automatic transfer,
due to habit of the surface struture from the fisrt language onto the surface of the second
language.

From the 15 students who performed interference on their writing is caused of

bilingual background between Indonesian and English is being learned in college.
Therefore, before they get Indonesian as the first language they have differences mother
tongues are Sundanese and Javanese. But, it caused of Indonesian as the most language
used in a daily, family and especially in writing so that they have been innate through
learning Indonesian since was child and used it to communicate easily and frequently.
Therefore, the second language is English that being learned. According to Weinreich
(1979: 64-65), “ The causes of interference are disloyalty to target language, limited of
vocabularies, needs synonym, billingualism background, language contact and socio-
cultural.”

CONCLUSION

Language is very important for us as human being to make an interaction. In addition,

language can be used means to get some information, science, and culture sector in a
region, country and people. Many Indonesian students can be said expert to the English
conversation and pronunciation. The people who are able to use two languages are called
bilingual. As the English students ability would not be equal or more than English native
speaker because of using mother tongue habitually and it learned since was children by the
grammar, syntactic and pronunciation. Therefore, the habitual of using mother tongue gives
the effect to the language target is called interference. This research collected data by
documentation from students. The result of this research is many of them performed
interference caused still used back to the first language into second language. Besides that,
they are using L1 transfer on their English writing that gives the negative effects into
second language.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abdul Chaer. (2010). Sosiolinguistik Perkenalan Awal. Jakarta: Rineka Cipta.

Bhela, B. (1999). Native language interference in learning a second language: Exploratory case
studies of native language. International Education Journal, 1(1), 22-31.

Bloomfield. (1993). Language :Language Art ang Disciplines. University of Chicago.

Dr.Warsiman, M. (2013). Sosiolinguistik: Teori dan Aplikasi dalam Pembelajaran. Malang: UB Press.

Eliis, R. (1994). The Study of Second language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxfrod University Press.

Jendra, M. I. (2010). Sociolinguistics. The Study of Societies Language . Yogyakarta : Graha ilmu.