How to Correct Mistakes

BEDAKID
CONTENTS 01 What do we correct in the class?

How to correct mistakes?

02
There are a number of types of
corrections that teachers are expected to
make.
SKILLS:

 VOCABULARY

 LISTENING

 PRONUNCIATION

 GRAMMAR
1.Pronunciation mistakes
Errors in basic pronunciation like
pronouncing the “th”,
confusing the “l” and the “r”
the long and short vowel sounds

Stress on the wrong syllable like

saying dessert /ˈdezət/ instead of /dɪˈzɜ:t/.

Stress on the wrong word.

A sentence like, “John got a new job” can
be stressed in different ways.
If you ask students, “Who got a new job?”
they should respond placing the stress on John .

Intonation errors
No rising pitch or use the wrong pitch
2.Grammar mistakes
ESL learners make grammar mistakes. Most repeat the same
kinds of mistake again and again like

Choosing the Wrong Tense

I am eating breakfast this morning. I ate breakfast this morning. (simple past)

Using the Wrong Preposition

What happened with you last weekend? What happened to you last weekend? (with –
to)
Omitting Articles
I bought new car yesterday.
I bought new a car yesterday. (a)
Misusing Adverbs and Adjectives
I want to speak English good.
I want to speak English well. (well)
Incorrect Plural Nouns
I have three childrens.
I have three children.(childrens – children)
……
3. Usage mistakes
Usage mistakes include incorrect collocations, idiomatic
phrase usage, etc.
Like:

Correct: I wind the watch every day.

Incorrect: I give key to the watch every day.

Correct: He has given up smoking.

Incorrect: He has left smoking.

Correct: They replied yesterday.

Incorrect: They replied back yesterday.
4. Written mistakes
Grammar, spelling and vocabulary choice mistakes in written
work
CONTENTS 01 What do we correct in the class?

02 How to correct mistakes?

Throughout their studies, students will
make lots of mistakes. It is an important
part of the learning process. Let the
students make mistakes but offer
correction in the classroom. 
About Mistakes
Mistakes means students are
experimenting with language

attempting to communicate

making progress

Mistakes can affect

students’ self-esteem

their ability to communicate

Mistakes should be corrected in class
Studies have shown that you’ll improve your students’
English if you focus on these three kinds of mistakes in
class:

1. High frequency errors

2. Errors that block meaning or confuse the listener

3. Errors in using the lesson’s target language.

Decide whether to deal with it

Be aware of the goals of the lesson, and the students’ levels.

1. What is the aim of activity?

Accurate use of English?
Fluency is the objective

2. Will it help or hinder learning?

3. How will the student take the correction?

4. What is my intention in correcting?

Decide when to deal with it

Be aware of timing. English teachers always need to

balance the twin goals of fluency and accuracy when they
judge when and how to correct a student.

Immediately

At the end of the activity

Later in the lesson

At the end of the lesson

Two Ways to correct mistakes in an one-to one
class
1. Teacher-to-student correction
when you hear a student make a mistake, repeat what
the student has said but without the error. It’s effective
in the early stages of the lesson when students first
practice the target language. They need direct
feedback from you.

2. Self-correction
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.
Tips For Correction
1. Use the Comic relief strategy
In most cases ,correction are made quickly while students
are speaking and having minds on what they are trying to
say. The mistakes go unnoticed and repeated . Try
exaggerated tone, facial expressions, gestures as soon as
they say offending words.
2. Try not to use negative correction
Using a sharp NO, YOU'RE WRONG for example or a silent
shake of the head - could cause resentment and increase
shyness.
3. Think about the ability of the student you're about to
correct and match your correction accordingly.

4. Don't overdo it!

    If you constantly correct, the flow of the class will suffer, your
students may be reluctant to speak and won't want to
participate.
Tips For Correction

5. Aim for a balance between student interaction and

correction.
You need to keep your students active and enthusiastic but
you must correct thoroughly where appropriate.
6. At every stage of an activity, praise should be given.
Be positive in your method of correcting errors, reassure
your students that they are doing well, and do not get upset
with them for making mistakes. If the student provides an
incorrect answer you can correct in an encouraging way by
saying “Almost.”