COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING APPLICATION LETTER OF THIRD YEAR TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS AT CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY, LASAM CAMPUS SY 2014-2015

College of Teacher EducationCagayan State University
COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING APPLICATION LETTER OF
THIRD YEAR TEACHEREDUCATION STUDENTS
AT CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY,
LASAM CAMPUS SY 2014-2015
An Action Research
Presented to the Faculty
College of Teacher Education
Cagayan State University
Lasam, Cagayan
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the degree
BACHELOR IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
Major in English
Lord Mark Jayson B. Ilarde
Jackielen B. Romero
Novie Joy T. Molina
2014

APPROVAL SHEET
This research proposal entitled, “COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING
APPLICATION LETTER OF THIRD YEAR TEACHER EDUCATION
STUDENTS” prepared and submitted by LORD MARK JAYSON B. ILARDE,
JACKIELEN B. ROMERO and NOVIE JOY T. MOLINA in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the course Language Research.
Approved by the Tribunal on Oral Examination with a grade of
_____________.
___________________________________
_____________________________ ______________________________
______________________________ ______________________________
__________________
DATE
i

Acknowledgement
The researchers express their heartfelt gratitude and sincerest appreciation to
those who extended their assistance and encouragement in the accomplishment of
this study. They feel to mention their facilitation to the following.
Mrs. Dolores C. Quebral., our Campus Executive Officer for her motherly
motivation and encouragement;
Mrs. Janilete R. Cortez, our Adviser for all the insights, recommendation and
most of all her sincere support during the crucial period of accomplishing this study;
Mrs. Judelyn Cantor, Dean of the College of Teacher Education for her
constructive critics and suggestions;
Mrs. Catherine Salva, Campus Librarian for her unselfish assistance in
lending some references needed throughout the process of the study;
Dr. Gilbert C. Magulod Jr., for his untiring efforts and invaluable guidance
and assistance;
To their loving family, for all the years of patience and endurance provided
them, to their love and support especially on financial matters;
Above all to our Almighty Father for His bountiful blessings and graces He
showered to us.
ii

Dedication
To our Family, thank you for the love, understanding and support.
To our friends and classmates, who are always there for us if we need their help and
ideas.
Above all, to our Almighty God, who has been and always been the source of all that
they have.
This humble work is lovingly dedicated.
RESEARCHERS,
Jayson
Jackie
Novie

TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPROVAL SHEET----------------------------------------------------------------- i
ACKNOWLEGEMENT------------------------------------------------------------ ii
DEDICATION---------------------------------------------------------------------- iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS------------------------------------------------------------ iv - v
CHAPTER
PAGE
1. INTRODUCTION---------------------------------------------------------- 1 - 2
Conceptual Framework------------------------------------------------ 3
Research paradigm----------------------------------------------------- 4
Statement of the Problem---------------------------------------------- 5
Significance of the study---------------------------------------------- 5 - 6
Research Hypothesis--------------------------------------------------- 6
Scope and Delimitation of The Study-------------------------------- 6
Definition of Terms----------------------------------------------------- 7
2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND
STUDIES
Review of Related Literature and Studies-------------------------- 8 - 14
3. METHODS AND PROCEDURE
Research Design------------------------------------------------------- 15
Locale of the Study---------------------------------------------------- 16
iv

Research Instrument--------------------------------------------------- 16
Respondent and Sampling Procedure--------------------------------16
Data Gathering Procedure---------------------------------------------17
4. DISCUSION OF FINDINGS------------------------------------------- 18- 22
5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary------------------------------------------------------------- 23
Conclusions---------------------------------------------------------- 24
Recommendations--------------------------------------------------- 25
Bibliography--------------------------------------------------------- 26
v

Chapter 1
Background of the Study
Introduction
A letter plays a vital role in applying to any job. The way you present the
letter is your first introduction to the person who could be your new employer. The
purpose of these written texts is to persuade the admissions committee to accept the
writer’s application (Callaghan, 2004).
Researchers interested in error analysis observed that errors are
advantageous for both learners and teachers. It provides information to the teachers
on students’ errors. This helps the teachers in three ways, firstly to correct their
errors, secondly to improve their teaching and thirdly to focus on those area that need
reinforcement (Al-haysoni, 201G2).
Moreover, application essays give you an opportunity to explain -- through
narrative, example, and analysis -- aspects of your personal, educational and
professional history that may have led you to pursue an advanced degree at a
particular institution. Admissions committees rely heavily on these essays to put a
face on impersonal test scores and grade point averages. (UW-Madison Writing
Centre, 2004)
Furthermore, in composing good letter writing, you should notice some
aspects and one of the important aspects that should be mastered in getting a well-
structured writing is the use of a high-standard English grammar. Poor grammar and
1

spelling which are unprofessional can damage the reputation of both you as the
writer and the school you came from.
In regard to the writing skill, it cannot be denied that writing in English
Language is not always as easy as writing in your own language since there are some
different rules in the writing systems sometimes causing you to write many errors in
sentences.
Generally, most institution will ask you to write a job application letter
accompanied by resume as a requirement for taking one of the positions offered.
Your attractive letter with its resume can do much to help you secure the job of your
choice.
2

Conceptual Framework
This study will be conducted to identify the Common Errors in Writing
Application letter of third year Teacher Education students at Cagayan State
University, Lasam Campus SY 2014-1015.
The researchers conceptualized that common errors in writing application
letter are related to the instructional program done by the language teachers the
aforementioned theories of writing application letter, error analysis theory and the
rest reached a common point in supporting the variables indicated.
As mentioned, instructional program of the school and the teacher is
determined by the writing ability of the students.
3

Research Paradigm
Independent Variable Dependent Variable
Figure 1: The research paradigm shows the relationship between the independent
variable and dependent variable.
Common Errors in
Writing
Application Letters
Proposed/ Revised
Instructional Program
4

Statement of the Problem
Generally, this study aimed to survey “Common Errors of Third Year
Education students in Writing Application Letter of CSU-Lasam.”
Specifically, it sought to:
a. discover the language, grammatical, and letter-form errors of third year Education
students of CSU-LASAM;
b. suggest remedial instructions needed in teaching writing letters of application
Significance of the Study
The result of this study would provide information about the common errors
of third year teacher education students.
Therefore, this research study will likewise be advantageous to the following
groups of people.
The School Administrators, the result of this study would somehow help
them think for the betterment of the school which will affect the writing skills of the
students in Writing in the Discipline subject.
The Dean, the result of this study will be a great basis in improving programs
and techniques which will test the writing abilities of the students.
The Teachers, the result of this study will give them the idea on what are the
things to provide that could help the students, this study will also help them know the
best teaching strategies for more effective teaching process.
5

The Researchers, they will be able to share information to the concern
officials and faculty through the findings of their study.
The researcher who will conduct a similar study could base from its results.
Students, having ideas on the interest of students in studies, learners shall
place in higher level of their learning tasks and motivates them accepts greater
responsibilities for learning.
Research Hypotheses
1. There is no significant difference on the errors in writing application letters
among third year students.
2. There is no relationship between language instructions and the writing ability
of the students.
Scope and Delimitation of the Study
This study will mainly concern on the Common Errors of the selected Third
Year students in Writing Application Letter. This proposed research will serve as a
basis for language teachers on what remedial instruction would be needed in teaching
writing letters of application.
Moreover, the assessment of the corpus will be limited on the
grammar and format. There are many kinds of grammatical errors found in
their work but the researchers just take four highest numbers of total errors
namely: prepositions, verb, article and tense.
6

Definition of Terms
Addition – adding unnecessary verbs, prepositions, articles.
Application letter - it is used to show your intent on applying for a certain
job/position.
Articles - a determiner that may indicate the specificity of reference of a
noun phrase.
Complimentary Close - is the term prior to your signature in an application
letter.
Corpus – a collection of writings of a specific kind or on a specific subject.
Errors - a deviation from accuracy or correctness; a mistake, as in action or
speech.
Layout - the visual structure for a user interface.
Mis-formation – the incorrect formation of words in a sentence.
Mis-ordering – the wrong order of words in a sentence
Omission – words that not included or forgot to put in a sentence.
Salutation - is a greeting used in a application letter.
Tense - is a category that locates a situation in time, to indicate when the
situation takes place.
Verb - A content word that denotes an action, occurrence, or state of
existence.
7

Chapter II
Review of Related Literature and Studies
Related Literature
An application letter is a formally written one-page letter that accompanies a
resume and other requested documentation in application for a job or academic
program. Application letters are often synonymous with cover letters, and in addition
to describing what materials are included in the application, an application letter
should also take time to highlight the qualifications that prepare the writer for
acceptance into the job or academic program.
Application letters typically begin with an introductory paragraph that states the
position being applied to, reveals how the minimum qualifications for the position
are met and asks the reader to continue reading to learn more about the applicant's
qualifications.
Paragraphs that follow the introduction paragraph typically highlight the top reasons
the applicant should be considered. For experienced applicants, these paragraphs
typically highlight work experience and workplace projects of significance. For less
experienced applicants and new graduates, these paragraphs might highlight
academic experience, such as classes taken that would be useful in this position or
any particular academic projects or honors received.
8

An application letter should also include a concluding paragraph that express
appreciation to the receiver for taking the time to consider the application. The final
sentence should convey that the applicant looks toward the future by asking for a
formal interview in-person, online or by phone. © letterwritingguide.com
Format of Application Letter
As a formal letter, at least there are three format styles used in business letter,
they are fully block, blocked, and semi blocked style. In fully blocked style all letter
parts begin at the left margin, except for the printed letterhead; the body of the letter
is not indented, and double spacing is used to separate the paragraphs. While blocked
style, like fully blocked, all letter parts begin at the left margin, except the dateline,
complimentary closing, company signature with the writer’s name are placed up to
the right-hand margin. The next style is semi-blocked, the date, complimentary close
and signature with the writer’s name are set to the right-hand margin, and the body is
indented for each paragraph. Open punctuation is often used; this reduces typing
time as there is no need for any unnecessary full stops and commas. Whichever
layout, enclosure usually appears below the signature element and flushes with the
left margin. It is important to know that whichever format you adopt, you have to be
consistent, do not mix styles. It is stated by Taylor (2004) explaining that whichever
layout you use for business documents, the most important rule is consistency, i.e.
ensuring that all documents are displayed in the same format. A well-displayed,
easy- to- read letter will attract attention at once and create a favorable first
impression.
9

Parts of Application Letter
The following is an explanation of the parts of the application letter. (Geffner,
1995)
Sender address, at the minimum, contains the street address, the city, the state, and
the code. The sender’s name does not appear at the top of the letter.
Date is typed a few lines below the sender. It should not be written in figures as they
can be confusing; (i.e. 11.1.12 means 11th January 2012 in the UK but 1st November
2012 in the USA) it is better 11 January, 2012.
Inside Address typed begins with flush with the left margin. If you know the
surname you are writing, the appropriate courtesy title (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms) should be
shown. It is written on the first line of the address. If you do not know the name you
can write The Personnel Manager or HRD Department or Carroll & Associates, Inc.
Salutation is a kind of greeting to open letter. There are several types of salutations,
as shown below.
a. Dear Sir opens a letter written to a man whose name you do not know.
b. Dear Sirs is used to address a company.
c. Dear Sir or Madam is used to address a person of whom you know neither the
name nor the sex.
d. Dear Madam is used to address a woman, whether single or married, whose name
you do not know.
e. Dear (name) is used when you know the name of the person you are writing to, for
example: Dear Mr Smith, not Dear Mr J Smith or Dear Mr John Smith.
10

The body consists of three or four paragraphs; the important thing is you must be
consistent in writing the body.
a. The first paragraph/opening must attract favorable attention.
b. The second paragraph consists of personal data, educational background,
experience and qualification,
c. The third paragraph/closing, you close your application letter with a specific
request for action and give the reader a good reason for inviting you for an interview.
Complementary Close placed below the last line of a letter’s body has two most
common complimentary closes, they are Yours faithfully and Yours sincerely. If the
letter opens with Dear Sir or Dear Madam, then close it with Yours faithfully while it
opens with Dear Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Smith then close it with Yours sincerely.
Seven Application Letter Mistakes
By Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer
The student's resume was impressive. The formatting was impeccable, the content
was excellent, and he did a great job of focusing on accomplishments instead of job
duties. If I were an employer, I would have been impressed.
Then I looked at his cover letter and imagined the employer tossing that perfect
resume into the trash bin.
11

Many college students and recent grads destroy their resumes by accompanying them
with halfhearted or downright terrible cover letters. While some employers don't
bother reading cover letters, most do. And they will quickly eliminate you if you
make these cover letter mistakes:
Using the Wrong Cover Letter Format
The student's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste email than a business
letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter
screamed unprofessional.
Be sure your cover letter uses a standard business-letter format. It should include the
date, the recipient's mailing address and your address.
Making It All about You
It may seem counterintuitive, but your cover letter, like your resume, should be about
the employer as much as it's about you. Yes, you need to tell the employer about
yourself, but do so in the context of the employer's needs and the specified job
requirements.
Not Proofing for Typos and Grammatical Errors
Employers tend to view typos and grammatical errors as evidence of your
carelessness and inability to write. Proofread every letter you send. Get additional
cover letter help by asking a friend who knows good writing double-check your letter
for you.
12

Making Unsupported Claims
Too many cover letters from college students and recent grads say the applicant has
"strong written and verbal communication skills." Without evidence, it's an empty
boast. Give some examples for each claim you make. Employers need proof.
Writing a Novel
A good cover letter should be no longer than one page. Employers are deluged with
resumes and cover letters, and their time is scarce. Make sure your cover letter has
three or four concise but convincing paragraphs that are easy to read. If your
competitor's letter rambles on for two pages, guess which candidate the employer
will prefer.
Using the Same Cover Letter for Every Job and Company
Employers see so many cover letters that it's easy for them to tell when you're using
a one-size-fits-all approach. If you haven't addressed their company's specific
concerns, they'll conclude you don't care about this particular job.
It's time-consuming but worthwhile to customize each cover letter for the specific job
and company.
Not Sending a Real Cover Letter
Some job seekers -- college students, recent grads and even those with years of work
experience -- don't bother sending a cover letter with their resume. Others type up a
13

one or two-sentence "here's my resume" cover letter, while others attach handwritten
letters or sticky notes.
There is no gray area here: You must include a well-written, neatly formatted cover
letter with every resume you send. If you don't, you won't be considered for the job.
14

CHAPTER III
Methods and Procedure
This chapter consists of the description of the design, locale of the study,
research instrument, and gathering of data, and data analysis, data use in the study.
Research Design
This study will use the descriptive qualitative design. The design is the most
appropriate since it helps determine the extent which the different variables are
related to each other. The design will be made possible in the description of the
students’ common errors in knowledge, skills and attitudes in the language subjects.
15

Locale of the Study
This study will be conducted at Cagayan State University at Lasam Centro 02
Lasam, Cagayan for S.Y. 2014-2015. Cagayan State University at Lasam is one of
the Campuses of Cagayan State University System. Considering the fact, that there
are no studies conducted in error analysis on writing application letter in CSU-Lasam
particularly in the College of Teacher Education. The researchers have chosen
Cagayan State University-Lasam as the study area in conducting this study to be able
to determine the waterloo of the respondents and it’s implication to their writing
skills.
Research Instrument
The research instrument to be used in gathering data is the Application
Letters written by selected Third Year Education Students. This instrument provides
valid and reliable information to be gathered from the respondents.
Respondent and Sampling Procedure
The respondents of this study were the Third Year Education Students at
Cagayan State University at Lasam Campus. The respondents were selected through
“Fish bowl Picking”.
16

Data Gathering Procedure
The researchers sought permission from the Campus Executive Officer of
Cagayan State University at Lasam to conduct the study. Furthermore, permission
was likewise sought from the Associate Dean of College of Teacher Education to
allow us to float the survey.
The researchers personally administered the survey to the respondents to
ensure the reliability of the study.
After retrieving the survey, the data was analyzed, classified, tallied,
summarized, and tabulated.
17

Chapter IV
Discussion of Findings
This chapter discussed the results of the data gathered in this study.
A. Grammatical Errors
Grammatical errors occur when the patterns of arrangement of words in
sentences are not appropriate with the patterns and roles that have been in language
being used. The grammatical errors made by the students could be caused by lack of
understanding of the target language rules as stated by Brown (2000:208).
The 30 students who have made application letters have been chosen
randomly as the subject of this study. There are many kinds of grammatical errors
found in their work. The total of 72 grammatical errors has been found. The writers
just take four highest numbers of total errors; subject-verb agreement, redundancy,
preposition and tenses of verb.
Table 1: Shows the type and number of errors
Type of Errors The Number of Errors
Subject-Verb Agreement 29
Redundancy 12
Preposition 18
Tenses of Verbs 13
Total 72
18

Classification of Errors
a. Subject-Verb Agreement
The number of errors in Subject-Verb Agreement is 29. The errors committed
are mostly in the Form and Use.
Some example in this category as follows:
In this example, the respondent commits error in infinitive because the rule
says the format should be “to” plus the base form of the verb. He also omits the verb
“am”.
b. Redundancy
The number of errors in Redundancy is 12.
Example:
Repetition of same sense in different words.
c. Preposition
The number of errors in this part is 18.
Some example in this category as follows:
19

d. Tenses of Verbs
B. Spelling
Spelling errors. One applicant said he was well suited for "writting and
editing chores... contac t (sic) me at the adrwss (sic) below." Would you give him
your editing work? Another writer said she would enjoy "hearing form (sic) us."
Some write “I here many good things” and another write “For the shake of my
Family”. Word processing spell checkers make mistakes; so proof everything. We
found 22 misspelled words in this category.
20

C. Abbreviation
Abbreviating Cir., Ave., Dec., and all other words. Take time to spell
words out. It looks so much better. We have found 6 abbreviated words in the
gathered data.
D. Forgetting the Date
Date is very important in a letter, so that the recipient of the letter may know
when to act upon the said application letter. 10 respondents forgot to write the date.
21

E. Using the word "I" too much
Some letters are filled with 10 or 20 I's. Make sure yours aren't.
Advertising is about "you." Emphasize "you" rather than "I." 2 letters were
found to commit errors in this part.
F. No Punctuation
Some respondents forgot the act of inserting standardized marks or signs in
written application letter to clarify the meaning and separate structural units. We
found 29 unpunctuated statements.
22

Chapter V
Summary, Conclusions and Recommendation
This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusions and
recommendation of the study based on the gathered data.
Summary
The study was conducted to determine the common errors of Third year
Teacher Education students of Cagayan State University at Lasam SY 2014-2015.
The total of 30 students was used as the respondents of this study,
from the three sections of third year education students of Cagayan State University
at Lasam Campus. The respondents were selected through “Fish Bowl Picking”.
The researcher sought permission from the Campus Executive Officer of
Cagayan State University at Lasam to conduct the study. Furthermore, permission
was likewise sought from the Associate Dean of College of Teacher Education to
allow us to float the survey.
The researcher personally administered the survey to the respondents to
ensure the reliability of the study. After retrieving the survey, the data was analyzed,
classified, tallied, summarized, and tabulated.
On the level of significant of common errors in writing application letter of
third year education students such as the teachers, students and researchers, all were
significant. So the result revealed that they are all significant which means they are
23

all inter-related to its other regarding the common errors of application letter of third
year education students.
Conclusions
Having analyzed those thirty data, the conclusions were drawn. Firstly, the
subject has produced 72 grammatical errors in four categories, the subject-verb
agreement, redundancy, preposition and tenses of verbs. Based on the gathered data,
the researcher finds the highest number of grammatical errors in Subject –Verb
agreement with 29 errors, followed by errors in prepositions (18), then tenses of
verbs (13), and the least is redundancy (12). It is revealed that a large portion of
errors results due to difficulty in mastering the rules of English Language. So, there
is a relationship between language instructions and the writing ability of the students.
Second, with regard in letter layouts, errors are plentiful in misspelled words
(22), abbreviation (6), letters with no date (2), using “I” too much (7) and
unpunctuated sentences (29). The errors found in writing application letter are
probably caused by the lack of mastery of the parts of application letter and the
proper writing of a letter. And there is a significant difference on the errors in
writing application letters among third year students.
Finally, the writer sincerely hopes that this study would be beneficial for
English teachers and the learners. For English teachers especially Language teachers,
they could use the result of this study as an input to prepare teaching materials.
24

Recommendation
On the basis of the finding and conclusions, the researchers recommended
that there are two things should be done by them. Firstly, the teachers should put an
emphasis on teaching application letter especially the rules how to organize a good
application letter by giving more practicing and homework and check them together
with the students. Secondly, relating to writing competence to support writing letter,
the teachers should also pay more attention to writing to help learners to develop
skills in constructing sentences. The error patterns made by the students could help
the teachers in focusing the materials. In connection to this the library should be
provided more updated books, magazines and instructional materials with regards to
writing application letter. While for the students, they should not be careless
anymore in their work. Reading more English books, newspapers, and magazines is
one of the ways to overcome their problems besides doing some practicing
themselves.
25

Bibliography
 Al-haysoni, 2012
 letterwritingguide.com
 Mark Braund, Chief Executive Officer at InterQuest Group PLC
 Parks, C., "An Analysis of Language, Grammatical, Punctuation, and
Letter-Form Errors of Fourth-Grade Children's Life Letters" (1938).
Master's Theses. Paper 314.
 Peter Vogt, Monster Senior Contributing Writer
 Ragam Jurnal Pengembangan Humaniora Vol. 12 No. 3, December
2012
 Taylor, Shirley. (2004). Model Business Letters, E-mails & Other
Business Documents. Great Britain: Pearson Education Limited.
 UW-Madison Writing Centre, 2004
 WordWeb Dictionary
26

COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING APPLICATION LETTER OF THIRD YEAR TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS AT CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY, LASAM CAMPUS SY 2014-2015

COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING APPLICATION LETTER OF THIRD YEAR TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS AT CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY, LASAM CAMPUS SY 2014-2015

COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING APPLICATION LETTER OF THIRD YEAR TEACHER EDUCATION STUDENTS AT CAGAYAN STATE UNIVERSITY, LASAM CAMPUS SY 2014-2015

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