Analyse Comparative De La Position De L’adjectif Épithète en Français et en Anglais

Abstract

This study focuses on the pertinent notion of the interference of the English language on the position of attributive adjectives in French among second-year students of Kinbu Senior High Technical School, Achimota School, and Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary School. We identify and explain mistakes and difficulties related to the influence of English on French regarding the positioning of attributive adjectives with the view of testing the hypothesis that attributive related errors are committed as a result of negative transfer. This study also aims at finding a didactic approach that can make the teaching/learning of this part of speech easy in French as a Foreign Language. The study employs a qualitative approach in line with the model of error analysis proposed by Corder (1967). The instruments of the research consist, among others, of questionnaires, interviews and tests. The results of the study confirm a phenomenon of interference in the use of attributive adjectives among the researched population. The study also realizes that this happens because of syntactic differences between French attributive adjectives and their possible equivalents in English. The study recommends that a typical error file be prepared by teachers of FLE and be consulted before teaching this part of grammar to help learners overcome interference related errors in the usage of attributive adjectives.