1. Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Error Correction Techniques
© 2017 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
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

2. 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?)
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning
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3. Let’s explore these questions!
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This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

4. 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
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5. 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
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6. 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.
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning
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7. When to correct an error?
Immediate correction
Delayed correction
Benefits
Error is corrected in context.
Students get the teacher’s personal attention and can ask clarification question.
Students can self-correct.
Correction doesn’t interrupt student communication.
Correction is anonymous; students are not singled out.
Students can work together to analyze errors and suggest corrections.
Possible drawbacks
Students quickly forget what mistakes they made and how the teacher corrected them.
Students may feel embarrassed.
Students may fail to realize that their mistake has been corrected.
This is a program of the U.S. Department of State administered by FHI 360 and delivered by World Learning

8. Who should correct an error?
TEACHER
OTHER STUDENTS
SELF-CORRECTION
Correction is immediate.
Students hear the correct form.
It is loud, clear, and heard by all students.
It saves 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.
All learners are involved.
Students have to listen to what others are saying.
It stimulates thinking.
It makes students cooperate.
BUT…
Incorrect forms may appear.
A student being corrected may feel intimidated, less knowledgeable than others.
It may result in conflict between students.
It is possible only when a 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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
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12. 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 _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