ERRORS OR MISTAKES? INCORRECTNESS IN STUDENTS’ ANSWERS IN A SUBJECT-MATTER EXAMINATION

Second Language Acquisition has included only error analysis. To date practically in the classroom, it is difficult to distinguish between errors and mistakes. Because Ellis (1997) states that a clear cut of errors from mistakes may not be possible, this paper discusses any incorrectness, be it an error or a mistake, students made in one of subject-matter examinations and attempts to categorize and seek causes of the incorrectness. The answers in a subject matter examination of seven students were selected to determine types of errors and mistakes they made in the examination. From the analysis it can be concluded that the errors and mistakes include omission, overgeneralization, and L1 transfer. Global incorrectness in terms of literally translated sentences from Indonesian language into English has resulted in hardly comprehensible sentences.