Error Analysis On Graduates’English Academic Writings

English writing is proved vitally useful for graduate students in their academic researches. However, writing errors made by the Chinese graduates in their writing processes can be easily observed, studies of which are still insufficient, especially in fields of academic writings. This thesis tries to explore the common features of linguistic errors in the Chinese graduates’writings, raise their awareness of writing errors and thus, offer possible solutions.The analysis of learner’s language errors have long been a part of pedagogy. Error analysis (EA), based on Cognitive Psychology, and a branch of applied linguistics, has achieved considerable popularity. Playing an important role in both second language teaching and learning, it regards errors as a sign that the language learners are making progress in foreign language learning. It helps not only researchers examine the process and strategies of second language learning, but also helps students gain some insights into the difficulties during the learning process and accordingly, improve their learning methods and also their proficiency of writing.With Error Analysis as its theoretical guidance, this thesis selects90sample passages written by non-English major graduate students from one university in Beijing. They are divided into three different levels—proficient, average and less proficient writers. For each level,30,35and25compositions are respectively selected and errors made by graduates are collected and identified. Then, both general and specific classifications of errors are made according to Richard’s distinction of errors, and correlations between different levels and scores are checked. What’s more, recollective study and interviews carried out with nine proportionally-selected students are analyzed for further explanation on transfer errors. The analysis of their linguistic errors reveals that transfer and intralitigual factors are the two causes, with the former playing a more prominent role than the latter. Besides, learners at different writing proficiency levels make different types of errors which proves that there does exist correlation between writing proficiency level and types of errors.Learners cannot avoid misunderstanding or even failure in cross-cultural writing communication according to the detailed analysis. Thus, the necessity of developing learners’ cross-cultural awareness and professional training in English Academic writing competence has been proved.Finally, based on the analysis and discussion, pedagogical implications of the necessity of input increase, suggestions of intercultural teaching method and also professional training and also are put forward. Intercultural teaching method explores English writing from the perspectives of the way of thinking, discourse analysis, sentence structure and the way of expression. Intercultural method of teaching and learning can help students avoid transfer errors of their writings and ultimately help their progress towards the goal of learning target language well. Besides, it is suggested that more professional trainings should be held in and out of class.