Which term describes consistent errors that indicate the learner is constructing a language system?

• A. Systematic errors
• B. Summative evaluation
• C. Syntagmatic relations
• D. Transactional language

Answer: (A)

Consistent, patterned mistakes reveal the learner is building a personal language system. When learners try out rules from the target language, they produce forms that aren’t random but follow an emerging grammar. These systematic errors show the learner has ideas about how the language should work and applies those ideas across multiple contexts, even when those ideas aren’t correct yet. This is a sign of interlanguage—the evolving, rule-governed system in the learner’s mind as they acquire the language. For example, applying a regular past tense rule to all verbs, like saying “goed” instead of “went,” shows an internal rule being tested and adjusted. Summative evaluation is about measuring learning, not error patterns. Syntagmatic relations concern how elements line up in sequences, not error types. Transactional language refers to the purpose of communication (information exchange), not the nature of errors.