AN ANALYSIS OF SYLLABLE BREAKAGE IN THE ENGLISH COMPOSITION OF SS1 STUDENT OF KING'S PRIVATE SCHOOL

This study investigates the phenomenon of syllable breakage in English compositions written by SS1 students at Kings Private School, with a focus on identifying and analyzing common syllable segmentation errors. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected through student essays on the topic "How I Plan to Spend My Next Holiday." The essays were analyzed qualitatively through thematic analysis, with error analysis theory as the guiding framework. The findings reveal three primary categories of errors: interlingual errors, influenced by native language patterns, where students inserted vowels within consonant clusters to simplify pronunciation (e.g., segmenting "school" as "sch-ool"); intralingual errors, stemming from overgeneralization of English syllable rules, leading to incorrect boundary placements (e.g., segmenting "different" as "dif-fer-ent"); and developmental errors, characterized by inconsistent and experimental application of syllable rules (e.g., "swimming" segmented as "swim-ming"). The study highlights the challenges students face in aligning their native language phonological rules with English syllable structures, as well as the influence of developmental stages in language acquisition. Recommendations for educators include providing targeted instruction on English syllable segmentation, enhancing students' phonological awareness, and integrating error analysis into feedback practices. The research underscores the importance of understanding syllable breakage in language learning and offers valuable insights for educators aiming to improve students' mastery of English phonology.