Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Abashiri]

Hello! I am just wondering about what is an appropriate level of correction for students. Should we correct every mistake or just obvious ones, or just ones that pertain to the lesson topic? Any thoughts on this and how we should correct would be appreciated. Thank-you very much!

[djsmnc]

If it's a pronunciation error, it's better just to give them a stern warning.

For stuttering or other possible impediments, it may be necessary to use a bamboo cane or metal edged ruler on the knuckles.

[lastat06513]

It depends on how willing the students are when they are being corrected; Some students love it when the teacher corrects them while others will completely blow off the correction. And it also depends on how much the school emphasizes the use of correction in class- Most schools want the teacher to correct the students while a few see it as interfering in the performance of the student (really!...I have heard that before)

Also remember, children students learn more when corrected and breaks them away from forming "bad language habits" while correcting adult students can be a mixed bag of good versus bad; good being that they are focused on their studies and wants the correction be make them better speakers and bad being that they only attend class for employment reasons or if told by a parent or such.

For me, I make it a point to correct my students in mid-stream and have them repeat what they said WITH the correction (no matter if they are children or adult) so they learn not to make the same mistake twice (or three or four-times). Some people liked it and it let them know I was paying attention to what they said (which is very important for adult learners, especially the L1 types) while others might get irritated and feel less-confident about speaking- but in those cases, I always put on a smile and try to give them some motivation.

This is my advice on correcting you students;

CHILDREN: Correct their mistakes as soon as they happen. It will help them not make the same mistakes as they get older, in which case you will see that it will be harder to correct

ADULTS: Consult them first and see how they want you to correct them. Sometimes you can correct them in mid-speech and sometimes you can correct them after they finished making their comment- if that is the case, turn the correction into a lesson so other students learn from that particular mistake.

.....which can be a cool way to make a lesson out if it and to kill time

[huffdaddy]

[tomato]

In a drill, I would correct them.
In a conversation, I would not.

Here is what Eric Berne, founder of Transactional Analysis, might say:

A drill is a Child-Teacher transaction.
The student is expecting to be corrected for mistakes.
So the correction does not come as an intrusion.

A conversation, however, is a plea for an Adult-Adult transaction.
The student is expecting to be treated as an equal.
If the teacher corrects, scolds, punishes, psychoanalyzes, nurtures, or treats the student as a subordinate in other way, then that teacher is committing a Teacher-Child transaction, and is therefore committing a crossed transaction.

Can you think of instances in which you sought to be treated as an equal, only to be treated as a subordinate?
A teacher might create a similar impression by correcting a student who is trying to impart real information.

[Zark]

From www.TEFLbootCamp.com:

Correcting Errors in the EFL Classroom

Basic Concepts:

When and how to correct students errors in the EFL classroom is an issue of concern for every EFL teacher. What should we correct, when should we correct it, and how should it be corrected?

How do we give students the feedback they need and want to improve, without damaging fluency and motivation?

Research tends to indicate that three types of errors should be addressed: high frequency errors, stigmatizing errors, and errors that block meaning or the understanding by the listener. We might add another - the target language of the lesson.

When and how should these errors be corrected? There is, unfortunately, no conclusive evidence about these issues.

The most effective ways to deal with errors and offer corrections seem to include:

When hearing an error - speak the corrected statement

Listen for errors - and make a general review of then at the end of the activity segment

Encourage peer correction

Correct the student personally (use this less than the other methods)

EFL teachers always need to be careful of the balance between fluency (ability to speak quickly and smoothly without much thought) and accuracy (ability to speak in a grammatically correct manner). There is a tension between fluency and accuracy - where too much desire or struggle for accuracy denies a student fluency. And too much emphasis on fluency, can result in spoken gibberish that follows no rules at all.

Teachers need to stay tuned in to how their students are doing and attempt to keep a good balance of fluency vs. accuracy in the classroom. Not an easy task - but generally, in a speaking or conversation class, error on the side of fluency.

Also an excellent link:

http://www.onestopenglish.com/Teacher_Support/Methodology/Archive/specific-purposes/speaking_error_correction.htm

[djsmnc]

Shouldn't this be in the Job Related Discussion Forum?

[Abashiri]

Thanks everyone for your great responses. I love the controversy! I have always felt that the more correction the better. While the student is speaking, I write the corrected form of their sentences on the board. After less than 5 minutes, the board is full of pertinent sentences that can be analyzed.

I have little compassion if a student feels bad after I correct him or her. To me, they are missing the point of why they are in class. Of course, I wouldn't want to correct harshly, or even interrupt the student. Correcting afterwards is fine. If the student is embarrassed about that, it really bugs me.

[gang ah jee]

Listen more to Zark and less to lastat06513.

[Atassi]

[Atassi]

Clarification: In the rare case of a student being fluent no matter what we do to damage his/her confidence, we only have to worry about choosing corrections the student will remember and learn. Still, we can definitely ignore sporadic errors of form in favor of correcting errors that impair the message (meaning-focused error correction).

[tomato]

Whereas:
--immediate correction may seem harsh to the student,
--immediate correction could intterupt the flow,
--correction has its purpose

Try this:
--make a list errors made during the class.
--print that list up and pass it out and discuss it at the beginning of the next class.

That's the way one of my Spanish professors resolved the dilemma.

[HamuHamu]

The other reality is, regardless of what is "right" in ESL terms, or what you feel is best for the students, when it comes to written work especially, you will also be forced to correct to the standard that the parent feels is suitable.

Correct too much, and one parent could call and complain that you are too hard on the student. Don't correct everything, and a different parent could call and complain that you don't know what you are doing and that you let mistakes go by.

[casey's moon]

Interesting debate.

IMO, too much correction can give the student the impression that if s/he can't say something perfectly, they shouldn't say anything at all. With children, it becomes obvious when to correct and when not to. When I taught adult students, particularly intermediate and advanced students, I found it a lot more difficult. Even if they asked me to correct all their mistakes, they would get very flustered if I attempted to correct even just half of the mistakes....

[Troll_Bait]

Some students might say, "Please correct all of my errors."

Until you actually do so, that is.

As Casey's Moon put it, they become flustered soon after you start granting their wish (Be careful what you wish for ... ).

I was going to add more, but Zark pretty much said it.