CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Errors are a crucial aspect of learners'lives，referring to incomplete learning in the language learning process（Corder，1974）.It is inevitable to make errors during second language acquisition（SLA）.Different scholars（Corder，1974；Ellis，1995；James，1998）categorized the types of errors from different perspectives，providing different methodologies in the process of error analysis（EA）.Meanwhile，EA can be considered as a fundamental tool in language teaching to reorganize teachers'points of view and readdress his/her methodology for fixing and fulfilling the students'gaps（Vasquez，2007）.On the other hand，language learning unfolds in various forms related to a wide array of underlying causes（Darus＆ Subramaniam，2009）.Historically，the causes were attributed to the concept of separation of language system in learners'minds.But Corder（1974）thought the partial knowledge of the language was attributed to the influence of the first language on the process and product of second language learning.Many scholars（Darus，2009； Ellis，1995； He，2009； Richards，1974） have identified different reasons for errors which include first language interference，overgeneralization，incomplete application of rules，ignorance rule of restrictions and false concept hypothesis，etc.，which belong to the concept of interlanguage（IL）.This dissertation， based on the above two theoretical frameworks： error analysis and interlanguage，investigates the patterns of writing patterns in Chinese L2 writing and explores the possible linguistic reasons for committing these errors.Meanwhile，some non-linguistic factors affecting students'writing errors are also examined through a questionnaire survey.The whole study adopted a mixed-method study with three methods to investigate the data.The findings of this research will not only enrich the understanding of theories of error analysis and interlanguage but also provide the pedagogical practice for teachers and learners in foreign language（FL）or second language（L2）.