This document discusses issues around error correction when teaching English as a second language. It raises questions about what should be corrected (grammar, pronunciation, etc.), how corrections should be done (explicitly, implicitly, etc.), and when during a lesson corrections should occur. The document also notes a discrepancy between what teachers and students prefer - teachers generally favor selective corrections while students would like all mistakes addressed. It argues the goal should be effective communication and corrections should target errors that cause breakdowns in understanding.

1. By Olga Kozar
English-by-Skype coordinator

2.  The goal – simply share my thoughts
 I don’t have the “ right” answers
 I hope this presentation will raise your
awareness of some issues in error correction
and will encourage you ask / answer some
questions

3.  How do we deal with students’ mistakes?
 WHAT should we correct?
 HOW should we do it ?
 WHEN should we make the corrections?

4.  Grammar?
 Pronunciation?
 “ Russian” English?
 The sentence stress?
 Verbs? Tenses? The 3rd person “ s”
 Prepositions?
 Only frequent mistakes?
 …
 All of them? ?? !

5.  Explicit corrections ?
 Reformulating what they said?
 Asking for clarifications?
 Giving them tips?
 Pinpointing ?
 It is a __( blank) ..?
 Cues? Signs?
 HOW?

6.  Immediately?
 After a phrase?
 ___ a sentence?
 ___ the end of the “ idea block”?
 At the end of the lesson?
 Every 5-7 minutes?
 WHEN?

7. There seem to be 2 main
options:
Trying to correct everything, or as much as we
can
Or
“ Selective” corrections
Interesting fact:
the research shows that there is a discrepancy between
students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the RIGHT way to

8. Opinion polls reveal that :
Most teachers prefer ( a) ___corrections while
most students would rather be corrected (b)
___
Answers:
Teachers – selective corrections
Students – would like all their mistakes to be corrected

9. FOR AGAINST
Students often:
Helps to prevent “
fossilization “ of  Feel helpless and
mistakes overwhelmed by the
number of mistakes
A teacher “ is not doing
 Start using shorter
his/ her job well unless
and simpler sentences
they correct
everything”
 Lose motivation and
enjoy the process

10. selective approach poses a question:
How do we choose what to correct?
To answer this question , let s consider the goal of
using the language
It is effective communication
That s why the main criteria in error correction
should be “ does this mistake cause the
communication breakdown? “

11.  If a mistake:
 Distorts the meaning
 Prevents understanding
 Impairs communication
 Can cause tensions/ irritations/ makes a
student sound rude/ impolite…
 We should definitely correct them