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In regards to utilizing correction in the EFL classroom you first need to determine if what has occurred is a mistake or an error. An error is an indication of how competent a student is in learning the language and a mistake is something that can occur even in native speakers. There are many theories about correcting students in regards to errors in the EFL classroom. Beginning learners of a new language require very little correction so that they can learn to attempt to just speak the language to the best of their ability. Advanced learners on the other hand require a tremendous amount of correction to make certain they are both learning and speaking the language accurately. Error correction, if not used correctly, can disrupt a students ability to speak a new language fluently. There actually are two extremes. The first is to not correct any error and the other is to correct all errors. Over correcting students can disrupt the flow of the class and damage the students confidence in learning the new language. A happy medium between the two is usually the best method of correction. Asking students how they would prefer to be corrected is usually the best option in the classroom. If an activity is centered around fluency, then correction is usually not appropriate. The student should be allowed to speak and not to be corrected by other students or to be corrected by the teacher. On the other hand, if accuracy is the center of the activity, then correction should be considered. The first mode of correction in an accuracy activity is self correction. The student should be allowed to self correct if possible. The second best method of correction is peer correction. Lastly, the final mode of correction that should only be utilized if self correction and peer correction have not occurred is teacher correction. There has to be a very intricate balance between learning correct language and building self confidence in using the new language correctly. One way to correct errors is in a group setting. Take a certain specific time for students to look at errors that were made in a pair setting or a group setting and allow the students to correct the errors. Another method to correct errors is through immediate correction when they actually occur.The advantage of this method is that you do not have to halt an activity to correct the error and students can actually complete peer correction versus teacher correction, which is the preferred method. Before correcting errors make certain that you communicate to the student that they are doing well in learning the new language and celebrate that fact. Rather than correcting the student each time they make an error listen for trends and address the errors at a later time that appears appropriate for the student. Error correction games in the EFL classroom assist of meeting the goal of accuracy with the student. These games can include race games, drilling games, gap-fill games, crosswords, puzzles, jumbled sentences games, role play games, story building games, picture games, communication building board games, word searches and matching games. In essence, correction in the EFL classroom is a very controversial subject matter and there are differences in theories about what the the best method of correction for errors entails. In the end, the best method of correction in the EFL classroom is really what works best for the student learning EFL.
