Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Error Correction Techniques © 2016 by World Learning. Error Corrections PPT for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

Error Correction is Complex The teacher has to make many decisions in a split second: What should I do about the error? (Correct or not correct?) When should it be corrected? (Now, later in the lesson, next lesson?) Who should correct it? (Self-correction, peer correction, teacher correction?) How should it be corrected? (Which technique would work best?) “Businessman in front of a choice” designed by Freepik via Freepik licensed under Freepik Terms of Use This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

Let’s explore these questions! “Background of child thinking an answer” designed by Freepik via Freepik licensed under Freepik Terms of Use This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

To correct or not to correct? YES NO Students benefit from error correction. Research has shown that providing error correction while students are using the language to communicate can promote student learning. (Loewen, 2007) It can undermine students’ confidence. It can interrupt the flow of conversation. It can have a negative effect on motivation. Students may stop taking risks and will speak only when they are sure they can produce a correct sentence. (Bartram, Walton, 1991) This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning “Business woman being judge” designed by dooder/Freepik via Freepik licensed under Freepik Terms of Use

What mistakes should teachers correct? Teachers should help students focus both on what they say (meaning) and how they say it (form) during communicative activities. Teachers should also encourage students to express their ideas and take risks in a secure learning environment. This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning “Variety of colorful speech bubbles” designed by Freepik via Freepik licensed under Freepik Terms of Use

When to correct an error? Immediate correction Teachers tend to correct an error immediately during activities which focus on accuracy. Delayed correction When students are involved in fluency work, teachers tend to delay correction, or use techniques that will not interrupt the flow of conversation. “Conversation people infographic” designed by alvaro_cabrera/Freepik via Freepik licensed under Freepik Terms of Use This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

Who should correct an error? Teacher Correction is immediate. Students hear the correct form. It is loud, clear and noticed by all students. It saves the time. BUT: It makes the teacher dominate the class. It does not stimulate thinking. It does not allow the teacher to understand if the mistake is a slip, an error or a mistake. Other students All learners are involved. Students have to listen to what others are saying. It stimulates thinking. It makes students cooperate. Incorrect forms may appear. A student being corrected may feel intimidated, less knowledgeable than others. It may result in conflicts between students. Self-correction It is possible only when the student is able to correct him/herself. It is possible only when a student knows the rule but lacks practice in its use. This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

How should errors be corrected? Error correction technique Advantages Disadvantages Explicit correction The teacher indicates that a student made a mistake and offers the correct answer. It is immediate and quick. It is teacher-centered; does not encourage students to self-monitor. Recast The teacher does not directly say what was wrong but provides the correct answer, or simply re-casts/re-formulates what the students has said in the wrong way. It is implicit and discreet, fits naturally into the conversation. Students may not notice recasts or may not understand that the teacher has actually corrected them. Clarification request The teacher signals that the message was not clear and that there was a mistake a student can self-correct. It fits naturally into the conversation, promotes student noticing and self-correction. It may be perceived as artificial – students know that the teacher isn’t really asking for clarification. It can work only if a student is able to self-correct. This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

How should errors be corrected? Error correction technique Advantages Disadvantages Elicitation, prompting The teacher elicits the correct form from the student. This can be done by pausing and letting the student to complete a sentence the teacher started, or by asking them to reformulate what they were saying. Students pay more attention to the linguistic form and notice the correction. Student self-correction may have a greater impact on learning. Students have to have some latent knowledge of the structure to be able to self-correct. Metalinguistic information regarding errors The teacher does not offer the correct answer but asks questions to help the student see that there was a mistake (gives comments or information). Students will notice the correction. Such explicit attention to form can be beneficial for learning. The communicative nature of the class may be disrupted. Repetition The teacher repeats the student’s mistake but changes his/her intonation to signal that something was wrong. It is immediate and quick, students will notice the correction. Students understand that they made a mistake, but may fail to see what was wrong with their utterance. This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

Conclusion When selecting error correction techniques, teachers should take into consideration a wide range of individual factors (the student’s age, proficiency level, motivation, anxiety, individual preferences, etc.). Teachers should try to incorporate error correction into meaning-focused activities and retain the primary focus on communication. Teachers should use various error correction techniques. This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning “Creative idea concept” designed by Freepik via Freepik licensed under Freepik Terms of Use

References: Bartram, M., R. Walton (1991) Correction: A Positive Approach to Language Mistakes. Boston: Heinle ELT. Loewen, S. (2007) “Error correction in second language classroom”. In: CLEAR News, Volume 11, Issue 2 http://www.clear.msu.edu/clear/files/2514/0329/3290/Fall_2007_Newsletter- _Error_correction.pdf Accessed on December 17, 2016. This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning