This document discusses ways to make error correction more constructive and fun for students. It notes that errors are a natural part of language learning and should be viewed as opportunities for feedback, not judged harshly. Various techniques are proposed to correct errors in a low-stress, game-like manner, such as using color coding, having students find errors in sample texts, or acting out incorrect sentences. Making the student being corrected "the expert" on their own common mistakes is recommended. The goal is to take the embarrassment out of errors and encourage experimentation in language use.

1. ERROR CORRECTION-
CAN IT BE MADE FUN?
ELTchat Summary for 20th May 2015

2. What is Error
Correction?
What are errors?
Are we correcting:
something said in the heat of the moment?
something written as part of an exercise or
task?
= Both. But different techniques may be used
in the context of the situation.
 Strictly speaking we should be discussing
mistakes , which are performance errors
and can be corrected. Real errors are
things which have not necessarily been
taught yet, and therefore are not easily
self-corrected. D. Brown

3. Could we call
them something
else?
Tongue –in-cheek from Marisa_C:
 Deviations ?
 Unfortunate episodes?
 Things we can improve on…
 Things we can say in a different
way… (ShaunWilden)

4. DO WE USE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO
CORRECT WRITTEN AND SPOKEN MISTAKES
?
 Strongminded, talkative students made it
difficult to hear mistakes of the quiet sts.
 Using Screen casts (see links) or Jing short
videos for written error correction works well
(Marisa and Sue)
 Voice recording tools would be good for
peer corrected speaking. Something like
Vocaroo or Voxopop would make good
homework tasks for sts to correct each other
 brokus_a : only outright corrects in writing.
Without a tip it doesn’t stick in conversation
 Students enjoy having writing corrected, so it
is easier than correcting fluency

5. RETHINK THE TEACHER’S ATTITUDE TO
ERRORS
 Don’t think of it as ‘error correction’ but as giving
students feedback (GlenysHanson)
 Errors are to be actually encouraged as part of
learning ( Marisa_C)
 Don’t be judgemental and put sts on the spot
(GlenysHanson)
 We need to take the shame out of making mistakes
(Marisa_C)
 If our students don’t make errors- we don’t have
jobs  (SueAnnan)
 Errors are just part of the learning curve
 Look at Error Gravity; List of errors to mark 0-5 (Marisa)
Would stop Students thinking that every problem is
major.
 Some teachers are as scared of correcting as the
students are of producing errors (Glenys)

6. HOW DO STUDENTS FEEL?
 Sts might arrive in class feeling ashamed of
mistakes.
 Students can feel embarrassed at the
beginning, but they end up enjoying the
guesswork (MigueCorDi)
 Sts have fun if they create their own silly symbols
for marking (Marisa_C)
 In groups they don’t feel stressed (GlenysHanson)
 If Teacher is not hypercritical, they don’t feel put
on the spot
 Some students really ask to be corrected,
especially in the run up to exams (Sunny_EvaS)
(Ven_VVE) But
it could be from habit (ShaunWilden)

7. DO STUDENTS ALWAYS WANT TO ‘GET IT
RIGHT’?
 Sometimes they get to Intermediate
level and stagnate (SueAnnan)
 Errors can be caused by lack of
attention (MigueCorDi)
 When speaking it is more important
to students that others understand
their message,

8. How can we
make error
correction more
fun?
 Take errors from student essays and ask the
class to guess who made them. (MigueCorDi)
 Write up a mix of sentences which are
correct and error-ridden and do a grammar
auction (HanaHainsworth)
 Use colourful markers and give positive
feedback (Sunny_EvaS)
 Colour-code errors- Sts correct in groups
(Marisa_C)
 Put errors on Flipchart on wall for class to
correct (GlenysHanson)
 Take an exercise and turn it into nonsense
works well for LA and amuses students
(Marisa_C)
 The Human Computer technique is fun (see
links)
 Play devil’s advocate. Let them argue
correctness with you (MigueCorDi)

9. And more
ideas….
 Make a student ‘the expert’ on a
mistake they make frequently. Ask
them for help if someone else
makes the same error. (Glenys)
 Make mistakes, pretend you have
forgotten the correct grammar and
ask students to look it up (Sunny_EvaS)
 Come at the error from a different
direction and make the lesson fun
(brockus_a)
 Get the students to teach the class
(brockus_a) ( Marisa)( Glenys)

10. What if the same
students are
making all the
mistakes?
 Do delayed correction and respond
to the content, not the student.
 Take care with sts who have low
affective filters (HanaHainsworth)
 Be selective about what you
correct and don’t over-face the
students
 Remember to respond to the quiet
ones- not the over-talkative
students who monopolise.

11. Does Correction
really work?
If it does- what other
factors might be at
play?

12. LINKS
The Human computer
techniquehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di8TcpLY47g
(watch from around 10 minutes in)
Does Error Correction really work? Jeremy Harmer
http://203.72.145.166/ELT/files/47-4-6.pdf
Marisa’s Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/celtathens/errors-
error-correction
Screencasting by Russell Stannard
http://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/screen-
casting/jing.html
http://203.72.145.166/ELT/files/47-4-6.pdf Scholarly article
All images taken from CC licensed ELTpics on Twitter by
@Senicko, @SandyMillin and @Karabetca