What good mistakes do ESL Teachers Make?

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Eric18
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What good mistakes do ESL Teachers Make?

Post by Eric18 » Tue May 29, 2007 11:13 am

What good mistakes do teachers make?

As an English teacher at a California university, I often try to encourage students to stretch themselves and "make good mistakes" in my class so we can make new, different, and better mistakes in the future. A good mistake, from my perspective, is a reasonable - even predictable mistake that we can learn from and move on. For example, a student confuses the spelling for the number 2 (two) with the preposition (to). Homonyms give even native speakers a headache.

On the other hand, some structural problems are deeply ingrained "good mistakes" that will take a long time and focused effort to correct and overcome. For example, if a Korean student "forgets" to use the articles "a", "an" or "the" on a paper, then I also consider that a "good mistake." We often learn best by identifying good mistakes. But to know, and not do, as the ancient sages remind us, is to not know.

But I would like to put the shoe on the other foot for this online discussion. What good mistakes have your English teachers made? Do they speak on in a monotone? Do you use too many unfamiliar words? Do they forget their students' names? What do they do that limits their effectiveness?

Consider me curious.

Eric
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cancan
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Post by cancan » Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:27 am

By force of habit, the first word i write on the board will always have a capital letter. The students often assume that the word ALWAYS has a capital letter.
e.g. Yesterday the dog ran to the park.

The kids will later write something like;
I ran to the park Yesterday.

It's not so much of a problem now that i'm aware of it.

harmony
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Post by harmony » Sun Aug 26, 2007 3:06 pm

Hi

Good question that brings up an important barrier to learning (in any context) -fear of making mistakes.

To ask what good mistakes are, however, is to imply that some are bad. My basic stance is that all mistakes are opportunities for learning and, in this sense, are all "good". Telling students that mistakes are good, though, doesn't really encourage them if they continue to make them over and over again, especially if they are penalized on tests as a result of them (which is a powerful way of saying they are bad).

The three most important things about mistakes in my experience are to 1) not be afraid of them, 2) not judge yourself or others negatively because of them, and 3) become aware of them on your own.

I find these to be universal truths for teachers, learners, and all human beings in general whether they are learning a language or learning about life.

Looking specifically at teacher mistakes all of them are good in that they create opportunities for growth. No growth will occur, however, if the teacher does not become self aware of them to the point that he or she has conscious control in the moment. Lots of teachers and students alike can look at a mistake after the fact and notice it -especially if someone points it out to them. Students or teachers who are growing, however, are those who become aware of them on their own either as, or before they happen.

Thus, I feel that one aspect of learning that deserves much more attention and research is self awareness and in the moment consciousness. This is especially important for anyone learning a language because, as has been mentioned, many langauge errors are so deeply embedded in the consciousness of students. This is why I make an effort to help students become aware of their mistakes and correct them as they occur, not afterwards. This is only possible to a limited extent, however in larger classes.

Eric18
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Good points, but tests and grades require evaluations

Post by Eric18 » Sat Sep 29, 2007 8:33 pm

Harmony makes several excellent points, and I wish I were better in correcting mistakes in the moment rather than in hindsight.

How can we give tests without "punishing" mistakes and marking them wrong? We can't just give an "A" for effort to all students - at least in classes which assign grades. Suggestions? Examples? Tests and grades, the main pillars of contemporary university life, require evaluations. Right?

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