Error Correction 1 - TeachingEnglish - British Council - BBC

Error Correction 1 | TeachingEnglish | British Council | BBC
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Error Correction 1
Submitted 12 years 11 months ago by admin.
When it comes to error correction we are dealing with one

individual's reaction to a student's piece of writing or
utterance. This inevitably means that there will be some
disagreement among teachers about what, when, and how
to correct.
Therefore the aim of this article is not to be prescriptive, but to

highlight some key areas. It is in 2 parts. In the first part we look at ...
Attitudes to error correction
Categorising errors
A model for correcting writing
The role of planning
Practical techniques / ideas for correcting writing
Attitudes to error correction
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Attitudes to error correction vary not only among teachers but also
among students. A teacher may be influenced by:
The fact that English is their second language and great emphasis
was placed on correctness at their teacher training college.
The fact that as a native speaker they have never had to worry
about their English.
A particular methodology / approach. In the 1960s a teacher
using Audiolingualism would have adopted a behaviourist
approach to error. More recently a teacher following the Natural
Approach (influenced by second language acquisition theory)
would have adopted a wholly different approach. Other
methodologies / approaches, such as Suggestopaedia and Total
Physical Response, highlight the psychological effects of error
correction on students.
As for students, we not only have to consider their age but also their
approach to learning. Some students are risk-takers, while others
will only say something if they are sure it is correct. While being a
risk-taker is generally positive as it leads to greater fluency, some
students only seem to be concerned with fluency at the expense of
accuracy. The same can be true when it comes to writing. Some
students take an eternity to produce a piece of writing as they are
constantly rubbing out what they have written while at the opposite
extreme the writing is done as fast as possible without any planning
or editing.
Categorising errors
We can categorise an error by the reason for its production or by its
linguistic type.
What's the reason for the error?
It is the result of a random guess (pre-systematic).
It was produced while testing out hypotheses (systematic).
It is a slip of the tongue, a lapse, a mistake (caused by
carelessness, fatigue etc.) (post-systematic).
To be sure about the type of error produced by a student we need
to know where the student's interlanguage is (the language used by
a student in the process of learning a second language).
What type is it?
We can classify errors simply as productive (spoken or written) or
receptive (faulty understanding). Alternatively we can use the
following:
A lexical error - vocabulary
A phonological error - pronunciation
A syntactic error- grammar
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An interpretive error - misunderstanding of a speaker's

intention or meaning
A pragmatic error - failure to apply the rules of conversation
A model for correcting writing

When writing we do not have the chance to rephrase or clarify what
we are saying. Our message must be clear the first time. Written
errors are also less tolerated than spoken errors outside the
classroom.
Look at this model for correcting written work and evaluate it for
your teaching situation.
1. Comprehensibility
Can you understand the output?
Are there areas of incoherence?
Do these affect the overall message?
Does communication break down?
2. Task
Has the student addressed the task?
3. Syntax and Lexis
Are they appropriate to the task?
Are they accurate?
The role of planning

Giving students time to plan not only results in a wider range of
language being used, it also helps students to avoid some of the
following:
Inappropriate layout
No paragraphs
Lack of cohesion
Inappropriate style
Whichever style of plan (linear notes or a mind map) these questions

will help students to plan their writing:
What am I going to write? (An informal letter etc.)
What layout do I need?
What information am I going to include?
How many paragraphs do I need?
What grammar / vocabulary am I going to use?
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What linking words (because, and etc.) am I going to use?
Practical techniques / ideas for correcting writing

Training students to edit
Even though they have invested time in doing a writing task,
students often don't spend a few more minutes checking their
writing. The following activities not only help to develop students'
editing skills in a fun way, but also enable the teacher to focus on
key errors without individual students losing face.
Grammar auctions: (From Grammar Games by M.Rinvolucri
CUP) Students receive a number of sentences taken from their
written work. Some are correct, some wrong. Students in
groups have to try to buy the correct ones in the auction. They
have a limited amount of money. The team with the most
correct sentences wins.
Mistakes mazes: (From Correction by Bartram and Walton
Thomson Heinle). Students have a list of sentences. Their route
through a maze depends on whether the sentences are right or
wrong. They follow white arrows for correct sentences and
black ones for incorrect ones. If they have identified all the
sentences correctly they escape, if not they have to retrace
their steps and find out where they went wrong.
Correction techniques
It can be difficult to decide on what and how much to correct in a
student's piece of writing. Students can develop a negative
attitude towards writing because their teacher corrects all their
errors or if the teacher only corrects a few, they might feel that
the teacher hasn't spent sufficient time looking at their work.
Evaluate the following techniques and decide which would be
appropriate for your teaching situation. Underline inappropriate
language in a piece of writing using a specific colour.
Using a different colour from above, underline examples of
appropriate language.
Correct errors by writing the correct forms in their place.
Use codes in the margin to identify the type of error(s), for
example, VOC = a lexical error. Students have to identify the
error(s) and if possible make a correction.
Alternatively put crosses in the margin for the number of errors
in each line. Students then try to identify the errors and make
corrections.
Put students into pairs / groups. They correct each other's work
using one or more of the techniques above.
From time to time give students an individual breakdown of
recurring problems in their written work.
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Rolf Donald, teacher and teacher trainer, Eastbourne School of

English
Ta g s
Methodology
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When it comes to error correction we are dealing with one

Therefore the aim of this article is not to be prescriptive, but to

Attitudes to error correction