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cloud_pleaser · Joined: 29 Aug 2012 Posts: 83

I've always struggled somewhat over how often, and in what capacity I should correct students errors.
As far as I know, CELTA methodology would have me create a controlled practice activity that would present errors to students, and they would be able to locate them and correct them. (To clarify, I don't have a CELTA, but I have read up on the methodology.. CELTA holders should feel free to critique this point). I do this sometimes, but I feel like it can be difficult to design an activity that is meaningful and engaging along these lines.

My overall strategy at this moment is to create a kind of "error diary" (I detailed this briefly in another thread). Basically, I walk around while students are doing activities designed to hit target language and note errors that they make. Then at the end of class I put up a table on the whiteboard with 3 columns: "Incorrect sentence", "correct sentence" and "Reason why it is incorrect". I put 3-5 errors I noted down into the "Incorrect sentence" column and get them to complete the table for homework. At 6 week periods during the semester I check their error diaries to monitor their progress and it forms a percentage of their overall mark.

My rationale is that it encourages independent learning and self-correction, without too much teacher interference. Its also in response to student feedback from last semester (Chinese university students get quite anxious if the teacher doesn't correct them) and also from the dean. I'd like something concrete to remedy this.

I'd really like some seasoned (or fresh) TEFLers to weigh in on what I'm doing. I'd really appreciate any input.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:31 am Post subject:

Many ways of correcting errors. What you call Celta methodology, controlled practice, highlighting errors, is certainly one way, but it is but one way among many.

Your own method has some benefits to it, but it raises some concerns too. Linking error production and self-correction to overall marks is probably not the most motivating of strategies. Could be wrong there, but it seems to me that this might inhibit learners from risk-taking.

Might be worthwhile thinking about what types of errors you are picking up on and why, and explaining that to the class. Not usually effective to correct, say prepositions, if the task was about something else entirely.

cloud_pleaser · Joined: 29 Aug 2012 Posts: 83

Cheers for the input Sasha.
Good point about connecting it to marks. It isn't going to be a large chunk of their final mark, and the mark will be more for effort I think.

What approach do you generally use in your classes?

Sashadroogie · Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:23 am Post subject:

You're welcome.

I try to vary feedback as much as possible - not only error correction feedback, but also answer-giving to gap-fill exercises etc.

Specifically referring to spoken errors, I sometimes 'hot' correct. I.e. just instantly correct a student who has produced an error. This is frowned on usually, but for individual students it can be fairly useful. Especially when it is the umpteenth time the same error has been made.

Delayed feedback on group speaking activities can be provided by whiteboarding some learner samples and having them figure out if the sample is OK or not, and explain why. Can be beneficial to mix in good utterances with the errors, so as to promote their ability to discriminate, and also to mix in some positive feedback. Less depressing than seeing a litany of everything that they got wrong. A variation on this can be type up their samples, print off a sheet, cut up into strips, and then ask the class to make two piles of sentences. Naturally, this won't happen the same day, so it is important to be clear about what activity the samples came from - the learners may have forgotten doing the task in the first place : )

More on-the-fly error correction, not during a learner speaking task, can be to politely stop the learner, and point out that there has been an error, either by saying so explicitly, or making a facial gesture. If the student cannot correct himself, then involve other learners.

Teacher reformulation can be fairly quick and easy too, so long as the learner knows that their original sentence was wrong. 'Echoing', however, is a confusing situation for the class, and is best avoided.

I try to make it very clear to the learners what type of error has been made too. Saying explicitly something like, "Sorry, 'I am agree' is not correct grammar" is usually more helpful than, "No, that was a mistake". Similarly, "Control an exam? Is 'control' the right word to use here?" Pronunciation, appropriacy etc., can be dealt with the same way.

Covert errors are more fun, for me, though. If a student says "I work in/for a magazine" it is not immediately clear that an error has been made at all, or what it is exactly. Maybe they really do work for a glossy publication. Maybe they really meant they work in a shop. This only becomes clear a little later. "I am an economist" is also wonderfully ambiguous. They might mean bookkeeper or accountant. Or they may really be some sort of government economic adviser : )

Ah, you've got me started now. But if you can get your hands on 'The Practice of ELT' by Jeremy Harmer, or 'Learning Teaching' by Jim Scrivener, you'll find many more ideas about how to handle error correction.

teacheratlarge · Joined: 17 Nov 2011 Posts: 192 Location: Japan

One of the better replies you've drafted sasha.

I would add that covert areas are a tricky area in that it sometimes takes some digging to find out whether the statement contains an error or not.

I also like to take examples of student errors and highlight them on the board as well as do contrast exercises asking students to pick out the correct examples.

wonderingjoesmith · Joined: 19 Aug 2012 Posts: 910 Location: Guangzhou

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:20 am Post subject:

Chancellor · Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 5:50 pm Post subject:

I tend to correct as soon as the error is made; generally by repeating what was said, using the correct grammar, in the form of a question. My students usually get the hint and correct the error.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Oct 08, 2013 5:12 pm Post subject:

Have to be careful with that approach. The main issue is that the learner may not always realise that he made an error, or that it is being corrected with a reformulation. Not saying that describes anyone here, but it is a pitfall to be avoided, especially by newer teachers. Frequently, the learner may mistakenly assume that the teacher is just confirming the information content, rather than correcting.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

To add to Sasha's useful comment on immediate error correction, the error corrected also needs to be within the students' framework of reference. Correcting, for example, a third-conditional error with a lower-intermediate student might be useful - or not, depending whether the student has any background in the structure (or other linguistic item) involved.

Chancellor · Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:24 pm Post subject:

Chancellor · Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 7:41 pm Post subject:

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:27 pm Post subject:

Chancellor · Posted: Mon Oct 14, 2013 5:22 pm Post subject:

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:55 am Post subject:

Still not sure I get this. You don't want to directly tell the student they have made an error. You want to correct the error. You want to let the student discover there was an error. It is hard to see how all these things can be achieved at the same time, or even why one would want to in the first place. Not wishing to embarrass the student in one thing, of course. But few students in the Soviet republics would feel embarrassed. Usually they complain about just the opposite: their foreign teachers do not correct them enough.

Is there no reference or resource related to the error correction you've referred to that you can direct me to?