The Difficulties of Forming English Irregular Plural Nouns by English Major Students of Al al-Bayt University

Abstract

Each language has its own unique syntactic structure; therefore, the foreign language learners should be fully aware of the way of dealing with the new language since it is totally different from their mother tongues. This study examined the interlanguage syntax of Arabic speaking learners of English in the area of the noun. Specifically, it investigates the difficulties that faced students at Al al-Bayt University in using irregular plural nouns. The main focus is to identify the different types of errors committed by English students at Al- al-Bayt University and the major causes of these errors. Thirty students responded to 15-items grammar test designed by the researcher, and results have been initiated and percentages have been calculated. Results revealed that the errors are committed because the Arabic structure is very different from English. The majority of Arab learners depend on their mother tongue in the process of using irregular plural nouns.