Any advice for correcting fossilized mistakes? I'm interested in ideas to help with certain grammatical structures that the students have been saying wrong for so long that it is hard to change.
How can students work outside of class to "fix" these problems? In my own second language learning, I've had/have plenty of the same types of recurring errors as my students, so I can empathize.
Any ideas on what language learners can do outside the classroom to help themseves correct grammar/usage mistakes? What can I, the teacher do to aid this? I suppose the same question could apply to pronuciation as well. Any ideas?
correcting FOSSILIZED mistakes grammar/pronunciation
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joshua2004
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Sat Nov 20, 2004 7:08 pm
- Location: Torreon, Mexico
Lots of reading. Research shows that English language learners who read more have better grammar. This goes for me and you too! Not saying I am criticizing you or anything. Correcting is not an effective way to improve overall grammar.
My opinion on why this is: You might correct one of the mistakes in my paragraph and I might take note of it, but since the emphasis is on my mistake not on the sentence, I won't acquire the correct grammatical form. One acquires the correct form by hearing it or reading it in context. If the correct model of grammar in a sentence is not understood, that is if the sentence itself which contains the target grammar rule is not understood, and I have to learn the rule in order to understand the point of the sentence, I will acquire the rule since the emphasis is on the correct form and understanding the sentence.
So to answer your question more completely, reading, watching videos with grammatically complex and correct structures such as documentaries. Most speech in movies, songs, ads, websites, etc. has enough correct grammar for a beginner or intermediate to acquire from. (it is wise to screen materials you give to the student) So depending on the English level of the student, you can suggest or give material that's appropriate. I've read about book series such as the "Sweet Valley" series, "Goosebumps" or "Animorphs" all being popular for English language learners. (especially adults) You simply have to suggest from available material, what is the most interesting and appropriate for the student.
In choosing the appropriate reading level, there is much debate. Some would suggest always choose text that is simple to read (99% understandable). Some suggest that if the book is difficult, it means you can learn something from it and thus has value.(perhaps 80% readability). The truth is in developing a reading ability in a target language we sometimes choose books too hard and some too easy and some just right. The student can tell you what they want and need. Maybe she needs a difficult book in order to see what her limits are. Maybe she needs a break with something less taxing.
Josh
My opinion on why this is: You might correct one of the mistakes in my paragraph and I might take note of it, but since the emphasis is on my mistake not on the sentence, I won't acquire the correct grammatical form. One acquires the correct form by hearing it or reading it in context. If the correct model of grammar in a sentence is not understood, that is if the sentence itself which contains the target grammar rule is not understood, and I have to learn the rule in order to understand the point of the sentence, I will acquire the rule since the emphasis is on the correct form and understanding the sentence.
So to answer your question more completely, reading, watching videos with grammatically complex and correct structures such as documentaries. Most speech in movies, songs, ads, websites, etc. has enough correct grammar for a beginner or intermediate to acquire from. (it is wise to screen materials you give to the student) So depending on the English level of the student, you can suggest or give material that's appropriate. I've read about book series such as the "Sweet Valley" series, "Goosebumps" or "Animorphs" all being popular for English language learners. (especially adults) You simply have to suggest from available material, what is the most interesting and appropriate for the student.
In choosing the appropriate reading level, there is much debate. Some would suggest always choose text that is simple to read (99% understandable). Some suggest that if the book is difficult, it means you can learn something from it and thus has value.(perhaps 80% readability). The truth is in developing a reading ability in a target language we sometimes choose books too hard and some too easy and some just right. The student can tell you what they want and need. Maybe she needs a difficult book in order to see what her limits are. Maybe she needs a break with something less taxing.
Josh
s Josh!Perhaps, also, it is helpful to these students to have direct instruction on the connection between form AND meaning; those embarrassing experiences when that person is not understood or wrongly understood can provide the motivation for a student to pay attention to form. I think this goes for grammar as well as pronunciation.
For example, I had a student who used to say,
"I work like a secretary." instead of,
"I work as a secretary."
This student was out there practicing and had heard a lot of native speakers, and I'll guarantee you they never said "like" in this way. But once it was pointed out to her, she never made the mistake again.
At some point the students have to take charge of their own learning, be the watchdogs of their own mistakes. My students have to do listening/speaking logs for homework and write down new words that they hear. One exercise that can help students who are fossilized is to write down, not only the new word, but the whole sentence that the native speaker said. This forces them to pay attention to the "packaging." More of a vocabulary activity than grammar or pronunciation, though.
For example, I had a student who used to say,
"I work like a secretary." instead of,
"I work as a secretary."
This student was out there practicing and had heard a lot of native speakers, and I'll guarantee you they never said "like" in this way. But once it was pointed out to her, she never made the mistake again.
At some point the students have to take charge of their own learning, be the watchdogs of their own mistakes. My students have to do listening/speaking logs for homework and write down new words that they hear. One exercise that can help students who are fossilized is to write down, not only the new word, but the whole sentence that the native speaker said. This forces them to pay attention to the "packaging." More of a vocabulary activity than grammar or pronunciation, though.
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woodcutter
- Posts: 1303
- Joined: Sat Jun 19, 2004 6:14 am
- Location: London
When I make the same kind of mistake as usual in Korean, and my wife snarls the correct version at me, it is sometimes fairly effective. Did they do enough snarling in the research concerning correction, I wonder?
I do wonder how anybody who has ever learned a language can swallow such research. The effectiveness of correction will depend on the circumstance, like the rest of our mainly unresearchable discipline. Some person routinely correcting for the purpose of science is unlikely to be providing the most focused, tip-top variety.
I do wonder how anybody who has ever learned a language can swallow such research. The effectiveness of correction will depend on the circumstance, like the rest of our mainly unresearchable discipline. Some person routinely correcting for the purpose of science is unlikely to be providing the most focused, tip-top variety.
I think you're being too hard on joshua and on the science, woodcutter. The way I read his comment, he's not saying that correcting is evil. What he's saying is that there may be better ways to improve grammar, and that to ignore them and focus purely on error correction, is to throw away a valuable resource.
The research I've seen on error correction was quite convincing, and I do swallow it!
The research I've seen on error correction was quite convincing, and I do swallow it!
Don't forget also that native speakers make "mistakes" when we speak or have to rephrase. We also sometimes miss things people have said - does that mean we need more listening practice?
In other words, anyone's English can always be better amd anyone who wants to speak "perfectly" is probably setting themselves an impossible task.
In other words, anyone's English can always be better amd anyone who wants to speak "perfectly" is probably setting themselves an impossible task.