This dissertation, "A Study of Lexical Errors in Cantonese ESL Students' Writing" by Mei-hang, Jim, 詹美恒, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled "A Study of Lexical Errors in Cantonese ESL Students' Writing" Submitted By Jim Mei Hang for the degree of Master of Arts at The University of Hong Kong in June, 2005 This thesis reports the findings of an investigation of lexical errors in Cantonese ESL students' writing. The study makes use of tagged sample essays to find out the frequency and types of lexical errors in different registers of guided writing. The findings of the study reveal that ESL students committed lexical choice errors more than lexical form errors. Lexical choice includes individual and combined of lexical items. Lexical form involves derivational errors and spelling errors. There are broadly two kinds of errors including interlingual errors and intralingual errors. Transfer errors mean a failure to keep a conceptual separation between L1 and L2. They represent interlingual errors. Transfer errors are different for each L1-L2 pair, while intralingual errors are the result of inadequate knowledge of the second language. Simplification and overgeneralization errors might be made by any language learner based on low L2 proficiency. The study concludes that lexical errors are a natural and a necessary phenomenon in language teaching and they benefit learners. Teachers should not prevent students from making errors but should find ways to identify and correct them. DOI: 10.5353/th_b3160281 Subjects: English language - Composition and exercises - Study and teaching - Cantonese speakersEnglish language - Composition and exercises - Study and teaching (Secondary) - China - Hong KongEnglish language - Errors of usage