ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the most common or frequently made errors in argument-based essays produced by Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) learners at advanced level. Error analysis (EA) of L2 writing has long been the subject of interest among teachers and researchers in English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) or ESL contexts, but few studies have examined the typical errors common in argument-based essay writing by CFL learners, or their views on the specific difficulties they have during the process. The chapter discusses the developments in EA and the analysis of CFL learners' language suggest that EA is still a valid methodology for exploring the developmental features of CFL learners' most frequent errors in writing. It explores students' perceptions of essay writing in Chinese, and their preferred type of feedback on work submitted. CFL practitioners and programmes should also take into account the impact of feedback on learners' development in Chinese a foreign or second language and provide the preferred type of feedback.