| Summary: | This paper examines grammatical problems in bilingual examination papers at an Open
Distance Learning tertiary institution. Bilingual examination papers evoke multiple
problems particularly when aiming for equal meaning in both languages and no
grammatical errors. Errors may persist even with extensive care and diligence. Errors
may be problematic for both learners and the academicians grading the papers. English
- Malay translation is a popular area of study in Malaysia with numerous papers but, to
date, we found no literature examining grammatical problems in translating
examination questions from English into Malay, nor Malay into English, particularly
in the context of ODL institutions that provide bilingual examination questions. This
absence evokes questions on the nature of the grammatical (and syntactical) problems.
This paper examines bilingual examination questions selected from multiple
disciplines to ascertain the types of errors that appear in them. These findings are
compared to errors from other genres. Analysis shows two areas of grammatical errors:
in verbal elements (VP) and prepositional phrases. This may be because these
constituents require knowledge of the semanticity more than structure and form.
Knowledge the specific kind of errors here may help the institution to provide training
for people involved focusing on the specific area where it is needed. (Abstract by authors)
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