Abstract

This study explores the mastery of question tags by English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, focusing on Bilingual Letters students at the University of Buea. Question tags are short questions added at the end of statements to confirm or clarify information, and they often pose challenges for ESL learners due to their complex structure. The research examines the extent to which these learners grasp the rules governing the use of question tags in English and identifies common errors.

Data for the study was gathered through written tests and oral interviews with students enrolled in the Bilingual Letters program. The tests assessed students’ ability to form both positive and negative question tags and their application of grammatical rules such as verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and polarity. The oral interviews provided insights into students’ understanding of how question tags function in conversational English.

The findings show that while some students demonstrate a fair understanding of question tags, many struggle with the rules. A significant number of students fail to maintain the correct polarity, often using incorrect tags such as “isn’t it” or “doesn’t he” regardless of the structure of the main sentence. This is linked to the influence of their native languages and French, which does not use question tags in the same way as English. The study also highlights errors related to subject-verb agreement and the confusion between auxiliary and main verbs when forming question tags.

Mother tongue interference plays a significant role in these errors, as students often apply syntactic structures from their first language to English. Moreover, the lack of sufficient practice with question tags in both written and spoken communication contributes to their poor mastery.

The study concludes by recommending the incorporation of more practical exercises on question tags into the Bilingual Letters curriculum. Greater emphasis should be placed on oral communication to help students practice using question tags in context. Instructors should also provide clear explanations of the rules governing polarity and subject-verb agreement in question tags.

Keywords: question tags, ESL learners, Bilingual Letters, University of Buea, polarity, subject-verb agreement, mother tongue interference, English grammar.