Teach English in Haiheshequ - Yantai Shi

One of the many responsibilities placed upon teachers is the need to effectively and appropriately correct errors made by students. Errors will reduce a student’s accuracy when speaking English and, if allowed to persist, may also limit a student’s fluency. As such, it is important for the teacher to identify and explain errors. Though it may be easy for a native English speaker to understand why something is wrong, students with limited exposure to the language will likely struggle with this. So, to best utilize corrective techniques, a teacher should identify errors that should be correct, who should correct the error, and how the error can be avoided in the future. To ensure that errors are properly addressed, a teacher must constantly be vigilant of errors occurring in the classroom. As mentioned in unit 3, errors occur when a student believes the incorrect form is correct, the student does not know the correct form, or the student is unable to use the correct form. These are not to be confused with mistakes which can be quickly corrected by the student or through the assistance of another classmate. Since mistakes are often quickly corrected, a teacher should instead focus on correcting errors which are more deeply entrenched within the student. Errors that appear repeatedly, reduce understanding, or are related to the language point being taught should be focused on. Errors, however, should not be immediately corrected if they have the possibility of interrupting an activity focused on engagement or accuracy. As such, error correction is best suited for the study phase. Even if an error is not immediately being addressed it is important to note that an error has occurred. This will serve as a useful reminder to revisit the error and to evaluate if the lesson objective is being understood. Errors can be corrected by one of three members of the classroom. The first, and optimal form of student correction is student self-correction. Self-correction allows the student an opportunity to reflect, identify the error, and correct the error. Should a student not be able to correct their own error, the second group – student to student – may be beneficial. Allowing students the opportunity to correct a classmate’s mistake will increase the overall student speaking time and could potentially provide the student with insights as to how their classmate selected the correct form. The teacher is the third and final individual who can help correct a mistake. Teacher corrections should be a last resort as students will not have the chance to troubleshoot the error for themselves. However, if a teacher needs to correct an error, it is important to remember that there is a fine balance of how often to use the correct methods. Too much may discourage participation and creativity within the classroom, but too little will hurt students trying to improve their fluency. A teacher must also account for students’ willingness to accept error correction and any potential embarrassment that may come with being corrected. To reduce the chance of embarrassing a student, feedback and corrections should always attempt to be positive and understanding. This will maintain motivation within the classroom and will continue to allow for creativity. Additionally, if only a few students are repeating an error, it may be useful to provide assistance outside of the classroom so as to minimize the student’s embarrassment and allow for more personalized practice. If errors are common throughout the class, it may be useful to incorporate these errors in activate lessons or assessments. For example, if students are struggling with the future perfect tense, a teacher could do a time capsule activity that encourages the use of the future perfect tense. By revisiting frequent errors, the teacher will be able to reinforce how the language should be used correctly while also identifying if students understand how to correct the error. When correcting written work, the teacher should establish a code that can be understood clearly and employed consistently. In conclusion, to effectively correct errors within the classroom, a teacher must be aware of the error, correct the error at an appropriate time, allow the student or other students the opportunity to correct an error prior to offering a correction, and incorporate the area of difficulty in future lessons. While the classroom dynamic and structure may vary from school to school, these basic points for correction will likely remain useful as they prioritize the student’s comfort and learning.