The paper titled "Training Freshmen of Languages and Translation College on Correcting Common Grammatical Mistakes for Improving their English Writing Skills" by Dr. Karem Abdelatif Ahmed Mohamed primarily focuses on investigating the impact of targeted grammatical error correction training on the writing skills of first-year students at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, King Khalid University.
The purpose of the study was to identify the most common grammatical errors made by these students in their English writing and to assess the effectiveness of a specialized training program designed to help them avoid these errors. The scope of the research includes an analysis of these errors and an evaluation of the students' performance before and after undergoing the training.
The methodology employed in this study involved a pre-post control group design with a sample of eighteen male students. The students were instructed using a direct approach, with the researcher developing and implementing a program focused on correcting common grammatical mistakes. The students' writing was assessed both before and after the training to evaluate improvements.
Key findings of the research indicated that the students showed significant improvement in their writing skills after the training, as evidenced by a noticeable reduction in grammatical errors. The most frequent errors involved subject-verb agreement, verb tense, and sentence fragments, among others. The study confirmed that targeted training can effectively reduce these common errors, thereby enhancing students' overall writing abilities.
In conclusion, the study suggests that focused grammatical training is crucial for improving the writing skills of EFL students. The findings have important implications for language teaching, particularly in the context of Saudi Arabia, where such targeted approaches can be instrumental in helping students achieve higher levels of English language proficiency. The study also opens avenues for further research, particularly in expanding the sample size, exploring grammatical errors in speaking, and investigating the long-term effects of such training.