Correction of mistakes at study

And
Its effect on learning...
Rayan
Mistakes are part of the learning process.

We learn from mistakes

Taking risks and learning from mistakes is part of the learning
process. If students never attempt to use more varied
vocabulary or other grammatical structures, just because they
want to avoid making mistakes. Students probably might
develop a perfect text, but they will never progress in their
writing or they will never progress in their speaking.

Pit Corder (1991) stated:

A mistake is not an issue of knowledge, but it is an issue of its
application.

According to Julian Edge (1989), we can divide

Mistakes into three categories:
Slips: students can correct themselves.
Errors: students cannot correct themselves.
Attempts: ambitious language use, by using structures they have
not learnt yet.

Causes of Errors
Ignorance, of not knowing the rules, the structure of the language,
and so on.
b) The inability of students to apply what they have learned.
 L1 Interference: sounds, false friends. E.g. parents, embarrassed,
library.
Developmental errors.
Overgeneralization.
Interlanguage.

Types of Corrective Feedback

1. Explicit correction. Clearly indicating that is the students utterance
was incorrect. The teacher provides the correct form.
Example: STUDENT: I hurted my foot.
TEACHER: No, not hurted hurt. (Phonological error)
2. Recast. Without directly indicating that the students utterance was
incorrect. The teacher implicitly reformulate the students error or provide
the correction.
Example: STUDENT: You can count with me!
TEACHER: You can count on me! (Grammatical error)
3. Clarification request by using phrases like Excuse me? or I dont
understand the teacher indicates that the message has not been
understood or that the students utterance contained some kind of
mistake and that a repetition or a reformulation is required.
e.g. Can, can I made a card on the . For my little brother on the
computer? Pardon.
4. Metalinguistic clues without providing the correct form. The teacher
poses questions or provides comments or information is related to the
formation of the students utterance.
e.g.: Uhm, the, the elephant. The elephant growls. Do we say the
elephant? (Multiple errors)
5. Elicitation The teacher directly elicits the correct form from the
student by asking questions.
e.g. Well, there is a stream of perfume that doesnt smell very nice. So,
a stream of perfume we call that a?
6. Repetition. The teacher repeats the students errors and adjust
intonation to draw students attention to it.
Example: STUDENT: I half three childrens.
TEACHER: I half three childrens?

Why don't students view their mistakes as a

valuable asset?
 Well, students do not think about their mistakes rationally -- they think
about them emotionally.
Mistakes make students feel stupid. "Stupid" is just that: a feeling.
Specifically, it is the feeling of shame, and our natural response is to avoid
its source.
If we say something embarrassing, we hide our face. If we get a bad
grade, we hide the test away. Unsurprisingly, that is the worst move to
make if you ever want to get better. Academic success does not come
from how smart or motivated students are. It comes from how they feel
about their mistakes.

One of the main dilemmas for teachers giving conversation groups is error
correction. It is always tricky to know when and if to correct students and
how to go about it.

The danger of over-correcting is that students will lose motivation and you may even
destroy the flow of the class or the activity by butting in and correcting every single
mistake. The other extreme is to let the conversation flow and not to correct any
mistakes. There are times when this is appropriate but most students do want to
have some of their mistakes corrected as it gives them a basis for improvement.

So, the question is; when and how should you correct your students?

Every teacher will have different views on this, different ways of correcting their
students and its a case of finding out what both you, and your students feel
comfortable with. I would like to offer several ideas of how to go about it.

Ask the students how they want to be corrected

This sounds obvious but it can be easily overlooked. Talk to your students
about error correction and to find out from them how they like to be corrected. Often
students have clear ideas about how they would like you to correct them. With large
groups, you may have to go with the majority, but if you have a small group, you can
cater for individual needs.

One way to give students a choice on how much they want to be corrected in
a particular class or activity is for them to make a traffic light to put on their desk. A
strip of card with three circles (one red, one orange and one green) folded into a
triangle with a bit of sell tape does the trick. Students point the circle towards you to
indicate whether or not they want correction:

Red = dont correct me at all (they may have had a rough day or be tired!)
Orange = correct things which are really important or things I should know.
Green = correct as much as you can, please.
 Are you working on accuracy or fluency?

Before you begin an activity, bear in mind whether you are concentrating on
accuracy or fluency. For a class discussion for example, fluency would be
appropriate. The important thing is that students are expressing themselves and
thinking on their feet. However if students have had time to prepare a role-play and
are then going to perform it you may want to encourage accuracy. Be clear of the
aims of the task and make sure students are aware of what you expect from them.
Do not present an activity as a fluency task and then pick them up on every single
mistake.

Self-correction / Peer correction

The first port of call when correcting can be the students themselves.
Students can often correct themselves when they realise they have made a mistake.
Sometimes the mistake is simply a slip and they are aware of the correct version.
Give students a chance, and time, to correct themselves. Often by just raising your
eyebrows or repeating the mistake students will know what you mean and back track
to correct the error themselves. Some teachers create all sorts of hand signals to
indicate the type of error. Pointing behind you is a classic to indicate to students that
they should have used a past tense. If these work for you and your students, go
ahead and create your own correction indicators.

Students can also correct one another. Peer correction often helps to create a
positive class atmosphere as students realise you are not the only source of error
correction and they can learn a lot from one another.

Correction slots

One way to focus on students mistakes is to take time out of an activity and
look at mistakes as a group. When students are doing a speaking task in pairs or
groups, I often monitor the students and listen in on what they are saying. Students
will get used to you hovering around them although if it is not your usual monitoring
style they may wonder what you are up to at first! I make a note of the mistakes that
I hear; whether they are pronunciation, grammatical or lexical. I collect a selection of
their errors and then stop the activity. I write a selection of the mistakes on the board
and ask students to correct them. If students are working in pairs and you have a left
over student, why not assign them the role of assistant teacher? They can have a
notebook and pen and make notes of mistakes they hear. If they do their job well
they could even run the correction slot with their mistakes instead of you. Usually
most of the mistakes can by corrected by the students themselves.

On the spot correction

 Correcting mistakes the second they are made has the advantage that you do
not have to bring the activity to a stop, as is the case with a correction slot. Students
often appreciate instant correction. Think about what type of activity it is before
deciding whether it is appropriate to correct on the spot. You do not want to destroy
the flow of the task by butting in. Students can also be responsible for on the spot
correction if they are encouraged to notice each others mistakes.

New mistakes or the same old ones?

I always remind students that if they are always making new mistakes it is
okay. New mistakes are usually a sign that they are exploring new uses of language
or experimenting with new vocabulary but if they are always repeating the same
mistakes, it is not such a good sign! By noting their mistakes, students have a record
of their progress and can avoid repeating the same mistakes repeatedly. It is a good
idea to have a set space in their notebooks to write down their errors and the correct
version. One way of doing it is to divide a page into three columns:

Mistake Correction Note

It depends on the Not the same as in

It depends of the weather
weather Spanish

Since - for points in

I've lived in Barcelon since I've lived in Barcelona for time
six years six years
For - For periods

Sometimes it is a good idea to have little tests based on the classic mistakes
students make in class. It encourages students to look over their notes and try to
learn from them.

Conclusion
 Whichever way you go about correcting your students, try to keep the
experience positive for the learner. Being corrected constantly can be a really de-
motivating, as every language learner knows. As you are listening out for your
students errors, make sure you also listen out for really good uses of language and
highlight these to the group too. In the case of language learning, I really do believe
the classic saying, you learn from your mistakes.
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/error-correction

For extra information:

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/error-correction-1
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/error-correction-2

.
Correction codes
Correction codes are symbols the teacher uses when correcting written work. The
code tells the learner what type of error they have made, and learners can then
attempt to correct their errors themselves, using the symbols to guide them.
Example
The following is an example of correction using a code:
I felt very comfortable in my new house SP (spelling)
In the classroom
Typical codes include WO (word order); WW (wrong word); T (tense); and P
(punctuation). Teachers use correction codes to develop the learners' ability to
correct and edit their own work, as well as making learning from errors more
memorable. However, some learners are either resistant to self-correction or find
it difficult.

Advice for teachers and students

Sit down and correct without any hesitation, dont work within time
constraints
Concentrate on the main issues so that you can help students with
written work that may come later.
Give students a chance to ask about the written work
Give students a chance to ask about the written comments
If possible comments should be discussed with them
Change the code of correction according to their level and course
progress (beginning of the semester and end of the semester).
Change the correction procedures according to the criteria stated
above
Prepare the students before they start writing
Focus on one or two issues that you may think are most important.
 Offer students comments and concrete and specific suggestions.
Be careful when giving comments, as they must be positive, since it
is always possible to comment positively on their work.
Ensure that the students work looks neat after correction
Do not write over the students work
Use a pen with another colour rather than red, as students may be
intimidated.

How to Correct Mistakes:

Throughout their studies, students will make lots of mistakes. It is an
important part of the learning process. If they are not making mistakes
then they are not being given difficult enough topics and structures to
work with. You have to choose material that is challenging but
manageable for your class and correct mistakes in positive ways. Singling
out students who make errors will make students feel self-conscious and
shy so some tact when correcting mistakes is important.
How to Proceed
Practice
When introducing new vocabulary, emphasize correct pronunciation and
during the drilling exercises have students practice using choral repetition.
This means students are not immediately singled out to pronounce new
and unfamiliar words and they can become accustomed to the sound of
the words together. The next step is generally to call on students or have
students volunteer to pronounce words or phrases. It is an important step
to check pronunciation on an individual basis however, it means that a
student is being singled out to perform independently in front of the entire
class. Correcting mistakes at this level is the most challenging but you can
use the same process to correct errors in any situation.

Self- Correction
The best way to correct mistakes is to have students correct themselves.
Ideally, a student will realize a mistake has been made and fix it
automatically but that is not always the case. If a student answers a
question incorrectly, you can gently prompt them to revisit their answer.
One of the ways to do this is to repeat what the student said placing
emphasis on the incorrect portion, for instance, I have play baseball.
and saying it in a questioning way. At this point, the student has an
opportunity to think about and revise his initial response. You may have
your own method of prompting students with a facial expression or
phrase, which they associate with being incorrect, but avoid saying words
such as wrong, incorrect, or no in response to mistakes. They are negative
and will have ill effects on your students confidence in the classroom.
Peer Correction
When a student is unable to self-correct, peer correction might be
appropriate. If a student raises his hand while you are waiting for a
student to self-correct, you may want to call on that student for the
correct answer or, after waiting a short time for a student to self-correct,
you could ask the whole class the same question and encourage a choral
response. Especially with challenging questions, this is a good method
because then it is unknown who in the class has the right answer and who
does not. Just repeat and emphasize the correct answer by writing it on
the board and explaining why it is correct. This is a good method of
correcting mistakes because it shifts focus away from the student that
provided the original incorrect answer.
Providing the Answer: Last Resort
Sometimes individual students as well as entire classes have no idea what
the answer to your question is. If providing hints and examples does not
lead them to the correct answer, you will have to provide it. Generally,
this is a last resort and means that a lot of review activities may be in
order but keeping a positive attitude and explaining the answer good-
naturedly will do a lot to keep your students positive about learning
English. Asking similar questions in a simpler form will build student
confidence again so that the lesson can continue smoothly.

The effect of error correction on learners ability to

write accurately
The paper evaluates and synthesizes research on the question of how
error correction affects learners ability to write accurately, combining
qualitative analysis of the relevant studies with quantitative meta-analysis
of their findings. The conclusions are that, based on existing research: (a)
the best estimate is that correction has a small negative effect on
learners ability to write accurately, and (b) we can be 95% confident that
if it has any actual benefits, they are very small. This analysis is followed
by discussion of factors that have probably biased the findings in favour of
correction groups, the implication being that the conclusions of the meta-
analysis probably underestimate the failure of correction.