ERROR ANALYSIS OF PUNJABI ESL LEARNERS: AN INSTITUTION-BASED COMPARISON BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE COLLEGES

Abstract

This study investigates the grammatical errors made by Punjabi English as a Second Language (ESL) learners in converting imperative sentences from direct to indirect narration, with particular emphasis on institutional variation in the Pakistani context. Drawing on Ellis’s Error Analysis framework and supported by Interlanguage and Sociocultural theories, the research examines both error types and their underlying sources. A mixed-method design was adopted, combining quantitative data from a written test consisting of 20 imperative intermediate-level learners equally drawn from government and private colleges. The findings reveal eight dominant error categories, with government college learners exhibiting significantly higher error frequencies, while private college learners demonstrated greater control over reporting structures. Qualitative evidence indicates that limited exposure to English, insufficient instructional scaffolding, interlingual interference from Punjabi, and incomplete rule internalization contribute to learner errors. The study highlights the pedagogical importance of communicative instruction, contrastive teaching, and focused teacher development to enhance narration competence among Punjabi ESL learners.