German language conjugation errors in written assessments among UiTM degree students

This qualitative study investigates grammatical errors made by 12 Mechanical Engineering students in learning German as a third language at Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Pulau Pinang (UiTMCPP). At UiTMCPP, foreign languages, including German, are offered as elective courses to diploma and degree students across various programmes, including engineering. To pass the course, students are required to complete three types of assessments: a listening test, a written test, and a role play. In this study, the researchers utilised students’ written test responses as the primary data source. All data were collected, tabulated, and analysed through an error analysis framework, a methodological approach commonly used in second language research to identify error patterns and their sources. The errors identified were examined and discussed in relation to standard German grammar rules. The findings revealed that half of the participants were unable to conjugate the verbs given in the questions correctly, demonstrated confusion in distinguishing between modal and auxiliary verbs and applied verb endings incorrectly across subjects. Similar to English, German verbs also require conjugation. However, the process is more complex in German. Several factors contribute to students’ difficulties in conjugating verbs correctly. These include a lack of understanding of the meaning and function of personal pronouns as subjects, limited knowledge of verb types and uncertainty about the appropriate verb conjugation endings. The results of this study can assist German language educators in developing more effective teaching tools and strategies to enhance students’ understanding and retention of German verb conjugation patterns.