Grammar learning

1. Feedback and
Correction

2.  Error correction performed by the teacher followed
by a feedback is a usual part of most traditional
and even non-traditional school approaches.
However, if we think about it, our ultimate goal is
to teach the students how to become independent
learners and be able to check their own work. Most
of the time learners concern lies in submitting a
given assignment or exercise without a double
check on the possibility of errors; especially
grammatical ones. For this, specialist suggested
different ways to deal with Grammar errors
correction.

3.  Error gravity also called (error judgement) are an
attempt to identify errors which are perceived to be
most serious and/or distracting.
 Burt and Kiparsky(1974), in their analysis of error
gravity ,twigged that there are two types of errors
that second language learners tend to fall into:
Local
Errors
Global
Errors

4. Local Errors Global Errors
Local errors refer to minor errors such
as grammar, spelling, or punctuation
happen at the level of a sentence , they
are also called (sentence-level errors)
They do not cause problems with
communication.
They require little attention compared
to global errors.
Ex:
omitted article
I. Let us consider Stevenson’s
invention of the steam engine as Ø
starting point.
Global errors are errors concerning
overall content, ideas, and organization.
They are also called (discourse –level
errors)
They cause problems in
communication; a source of
misunderstanding .
They deserve our closest attention.
Ex:
faulty word order
I. The English language use many
people.

5.  There are times during an ESL lesson when the teacher may reasonably ask
the students whether a sentence is grammatically correct and, if not, why.
 Teachers need to bear in mind that by doing this learners become better at this
type of exercise as they become more proficient and that beginners are
typically weak at making grammaticality judgments in a second language.
intermediate-level learners can begin to recognize and correct their own
errors, more advanced learners are able to correct the errors of other learners
as well.
 Teachers may want to facilitate their students’ ability to locate and recognize
errors, but how can this be done?
The teacher may ask the learners to identify the incorrect
sentence,instead of the correct one, in a set of sentences.
Eg: a.The professor which wrote the book gave the lecture.
b. The professor wrote the book gave the lecture.
c. The professor who wrote the book gave the lecture.

6.  Teaching grammar encompass helping learners to
assimilate rules and patterns that they apply generally
in their language use. however, most of these rules
have exceptions.
 One method proved to be efficient is the ‘Garden Path’
method .In which the teacher presented regular
examples to induce the rule, and then asked the class to
apply the rule to an exception. This elicited an
erroneous overgeneralization, which the teacher then
immediately corrected.
 By doing so, the teacher helped the learners focus their
attention on both the rule and the special features of a
given item that marked it as an exception.

7. Most holistic error correction techniques involve getting students to work with
their own texts:
for instance, the teacher asks learners to transcribe something they said
orally to a written form.They will make several adjustments and try to avoid
all types of errors; especailly grammatical ones.
Reformulation is another holistic technique ; the teacher or tutor takes
a paragraph or short essay written by the learner and instead of correcting the
learner’s mistakes, the teacher/tutor rewrites the passage on another sheet in
his or her own words, which means that vocabulary and overall organization
may change as well as grammar. The learner then compares the original with
the reformulated version to see if the intended message is preserved and, in
consultation with the teacher/tutor, the learner comes to understand why the
changes were made. This process can be very useful but also time-consuming.
“interview analysis” in which the teacher works hand in hand with the
learner and trains him /her to correct using a brightly coloured pen. After
several months of doing this, some improvements will be noticeable.

8. Writing is where most of error correction is done. There are many
feedback techniques that teachers use:
 Underlining but not correcting errors.
 Indicating error types on a checklist attached to the essay .
 Indicating error type and frequency on a note returned with the
essay.
 Peer-correction activities .
 Prepare composite essays for class/group correction that illustrate
common errors from several students’ written work.
 The use of audiocassettes to correct ESL compositions (it is more
useful to the students than either checklists or written notes in the
margin and that it is less time-consuming).

9.  Sometimes feedback and correction must be
accomplished quickly and spontaneously. Such a
need arises in the course of an ESL/EFL lesson
when it becomes clear that a particular aspect of
grammar is troubling many students in the class. A
fully professional ESL/EFL teacher should be able
to intervene, and in a few minutes, get students to
focus on the problem, to become aware of both the
error and the correct form, and to practice the
correct form briefly. Celce-Murcia refer to such
interventions as “minigrammar lessons”

10. Another form of feedback that many students
seek is the teacher’s answers to questions they
have about aspects of English that puzzle them.
When a student asks the teacher needs to
provide him /her with an appropriate answer,
one that is understandable and will let the
cloud of puzzles vanish from above his head. If
the teacher wants to make sure that the learner
grasped the provided explanation /answer
given to him /her , he /she should simply give
the student who asked the question follow-up
activities .