Investigating Lexical Errors in Written and Spoken Productions among University Students of Business English

Abstract

This study investigated the types and frequency of lexical errors made by university students of Business English in their writing and spoken production. The participants were 50 undergraduate students from a business school at the University of Ibn Zohr, Morocco. A comprehensive language assessment was conducted to measure their vocabulary size, productive vocabulary knowledge, and language proficiency. Their written essays and spoken interviews were analyzed using James' Taxonomy of Lexical Errors (1998). The results showed that the most frequent types of lexical errors made by the participants were word Distortions (46%), followed by Misformation (33%), and finally Confusion of Sense Relation (18%). The study also found a significant correlation between vocabulary size and productive vocabulary knowledge with the number and types of lexical errors made by the participants. The findings have implications for language teaching and learning, suggesting that more attention should be given to vocabulary instruction and practice to reduce lexical errors in Business English communication.