Korean Job Discussion Forums

[katydid]

I am going to make a cookbook type thing for all my second year students with the recipes they came up with in class. Now, I plan on giving them a copy of the finished product, but understand that my students may not have good English speaking or writing ability, and was wondering when I go through the recipes as I type them up, how much should I correct their grammar and spelling?
I'm asking this cause I heard that too much correction might make the students feel self-conscious and might prevent them from enjoying themselves during the next fun activity we have.
Any suggestions?

[snufalufagus]

Depending on the age of the students ...

You can't fix it if you don't know what's wrong with it

[katydid]

Do you mean I shouldn't fix it if I think they don't know what's wrong with it?

[kangnamdragon]

I would suggest that it is more important to teach them what is correct rather than worry about their feelings. If you give them back something which is spelled wrong, the students will take that as an endorsement of the mistake. Later, a student will spell the word in the incorrect manner and use your recipes for evidence of his or her correctness.

[mindmetoo]

That's a great idea. I think you should ask them if it's okay to correct their English. I always like to point out to my kids when they get something wrong, especially if it's something hard, that 50% of native English speakers would have made the same mistake.

[Toby]

Thro w it back at them in a fit of rage, screaming your anger at their lack of inability to spell correctly or check their grammar. Be sure do this in front of their peers. Shake in a convulsive way when you do this, salivating everywhere.

Or....

Just correct it because if they are students they know that they will be corrected and if you don't say anything, then no-one else will have seen it or what they wrote originally, so it shouldn't matter.

[katydid]

I like the idea of correcting only what they should already know. My big problem is I ehm, like to edit, and know if I was editing this peer-to-peer the paper would probably bleed red throughout.

Toby, I don't think it'd be advisable for my students to see me drool. And I don't want to pussyfoot around anything with my students, but you could see how lots of red would probably discourage my students from trying.
LOl I'm not even going to comment on some of their recipes, some of which seem a bit odd...

[kangnamdragon]

I would keep editing until it is correct.

[VanIslander]

I wouldn't edit a single sentence. I'd make them do it!

Review the common mistakes, then have them make corrections, going around the classroom giving hints as to how to do it. Encourage them by saying you'll publish their work, maybe posted here at Dave's or on your homepage.

Work and fun can go hand in hand.

[OiGirl]

I would recommend that you edit/revise LIGHTLY, just enough to make it understandable, not to your polished standards for yourself, and then have them make another draft with the corrections. This will help them take ownership of the edited version.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Oi Girl hits the nail on the head. Ownership is key.

[katydid]

Absolutely! I have to agree!

[Crois]

Well if you were teaching kids when their birthday is would you say my birthday is 21 April 1982???

You could teach them new things about English like First, Second, Third and fourth. Keeps them interested and makes you look like a real teacher.

[katydid]

No, I'd say it was October 20(th) 1976!

(Mark your calendars)



I have taught them ordinal numbers. I'm one step ahead of you Crois-teacher!

[Toby]