Abstract:

The article presents an analysis of errors in writing made by Czech military learners. Writing samples were drawn from mock writing exams in the same format as the actual examination. The mock writing tasks were administered to learners enrolled in language courses focused on preparation for the standardized examination in accordance with NATO STANAG 6001 level 2, which approximately corresponds to CEFR level B1. Thirty mock writing samples are analysed, the errors in them are classified, and their frequency is measured. The results of this investigation should translate into practical approaches intended to help future course attendees improve their writing scores. To this end, two questionnaires will be designed, distributed, and assessed. The first will focus on teachers’ approaches to providing corrective writing feedback. The second questionnaire will ascertain learners’ preferred method of receiving writing feedback. The study aims to first categorize the most frequent mistakes in writing and secondly to identify the most effective ways of giving and receiving feedback, thereby contributing to an overall improvement in writing scores. The findings are intended to be used in a brief handbook for teachers.

Keywords:

Writing mistakes, error classification, corrective feedback, NATO STANAG 6001, mock writing.