This document discusses various perspectives on errors in second language acquisition. It begins by defining the key terms of "error" and "mistake" and explains that errors are what learners make while mistakes are what native speakers make. It then examines some of the common causes of errors, such as first language interference, overgeneralization, incomplete application of rules, and fossilization. The document also discusses whether all errors should be corrected and considers the inevitability of errors as part of the language learning process. It emphasizes that the goal of language learning is meaningful communication and corrections should target errors that interfere with understanding, not minor inaccuracies.

2. A sad final
Sue had divorce recently of her husband William, although they had a
strong friendship. Free again, she got out and go to dance in
weekend and met with John who was tall, dark and handsome. He
invite to pass the weekend with he. Sue don´t know how to do, so
she ask to her best friend, one advise of Rachel. She warn to don´t
go because, “John is a good for nothing and a playboy with a bad
reputation”. Tim, her husband, was disagree and said that is nothing
bad in a bit of divertion.
When the weekend cames she decide to go anyway, thinking that Tim
had reason. She had to cross the river but the bridge had bin destroy
with explosives in the recently strikes. Whatever, Tim ofrece to take
to the other side of the reiver in his boat.
Sue and John had a great weekend, walking in the river, fishing,
cooking explendive food. More late in the night, John ask she if she
want to see his photos (he was photographer). The photos was in
the room, and the logical pass!
In the next morning, John had walking. He was agresive and cold and
said that she had to forgot to he. She was so sad and go to
William´s house, her ex-husband, findind. He was digust with she
and call a lost and said that don´t want to talk.
She fell so miserable and sad that throw down in the river and she
sucide drawn.

3. AN UNHAPPY ENDING
Sue was recently divorced from her husband, William, although they
still got on pretty well together. Being free again, she went out dancing
one weekend and met John who was tall, dark and handsome. He
invited her to come and stay the weekend with him. Sue wasn´t sure
what to do so she asked her best friend, Rachel´s advice. Rachel
warned her not to go because, “John´s a good for nothing and playboy
with a bad reputation”. Tim, her husband, didn´t agree and said what
was the harm in a bit of fun.
When the weekend came she decided to go anyway, thinking that Tim
was right. She had to cross the river but the bridge had been blown up
in the recent strikes. However, Tim offered to take her across in his
boat.
Sue and John were having a great weekend together, taking walks by
the river, going fishing, cooking sumptuous food. Later in that evening,
John asked her if she would like to see his photos (he´s a
photographer). The photos were in the bedroom, and so the obvious
happened!
The next morning, John had changed. He was aggressive and cold and
told her to forget about him. She was very unhappy and went to
William´s house, her ex-husband, to look for consolation. He was
disgusted with her and called her a whore and said he never wanted to
speak to her again.
She was so miserable and unhappy that she threw herself in the river
and committed suicide by drowning.

4. What is an Error?
 Error = Mistake ?
 Mistake = what a native speaker
makes.
 Error = what a learner makes.
 Slip = what a learner can self
correct.
Recently both terms (error and
mistake) are used in the same way.

5. Errors cannot be corrected by
learners, but does not mean the
teacher must.
WHAT CAUSES ERRORS?
It is necessary to understand the
importance of a language
learner’s error, and reflect
about the real causes for
making them.

6. Should learners' errors be
corrected?
When should learners' errors be
corrected?
Which errors should be
corrected?
How should errors be
corrected?
Who should do the correcting?

7. Global and Local Error
 “Global Error is one which involves the
overall structure of a sentence and a
local error is one which affects a
particular constituent” (Burt and
Kiparsky).
I like take taxi but my friend said so not
that we should be late for school.
If I heard from him, I will let you know.

8. Carelessness
When Ss make an error in a not
frequent time.
MOTIVATION
e.g. My mother makes a lovely
chocolate cake, she enjoys
cooking, but she hate doing
the washing up.

9. First Language Interference or
Mother Tongue Interference
 Along centuries learning a language
has been considered a HABIT.
 When we try to learn new habits,
the old ones will interfere with the
new ones.
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON
ERRORS IN L2 LEARNING

10.  Pluralization of adjectives.
Las casas son bonitas
The houses are beautifuls
 Position of adjectives
Niña bonita, computadora nueva
Girl nice, computer new
 Gender
Hablé con María y su madre
I talked to Maria and your mother

11.  THE
Los edificios, la gente
People, buildings
EL, LA, LOS, LAS

12. Translation
 One of the tools the learner uses
every day is TRANSLATION from
L1 to L2.
 “Translation word by word of
idiomatic expressions in the
learner’s L1 can produce howlers”
(Norrish).

13. e.g. - Tomar el pelo
Take your hair
Pull your leg
- Con las manos en la masa
With the hands in the dough
Caught red handed
- Aprender de memoria
Learn of memory
Learn by heart

14.  Quiero que Peter venga aquí
I want that Peter comes here
I want Peter to come here

15. Overgeneralization
 Jackobovits: “Use of previously
available strategies in new
situations ....”
 Learner creates an erroneous
structure based on his experiences
about different structures of L2.

16. e.g. Go – Goed (went)
Eat – Eated (ate)
Good – goodly (well)
Fast – Fastly (fast)
Comparatives
e.g. My friend is more pretty than
my classmate
My exam was more easy than yours

17. Ignorance of Rule Restriction
 When Ss do not know that a rule is
not applied for all situations.
 Most common error is the use of
relative pronouns.
 The man I saw him
He said me

18. Incomplete Application of the
rule
 Redundancy
 Number of clauses in a sentence.
 Order of adjectives

19. Omission
 “Certain linguistics forms may be
ommited by the learner because of
their complexity in production”
(Lengo)
My sister work in a bank
Mark call me yesterday
Is very interesting to travel to
different places.

20. Addition
 “Learners not only omit elements
which they regard as redundant but
they also add redundant elements”
(Lengo)
e.g. An estudent
Over use of the article “THE”
The Ecuador is in South America

21. Selection
 Learners commit errors in writing:
morphology, syntax and vocabulary
due to the selection of the wrong
morpheme, structure or vocabulary
item.
e.g. I am tallest than my friend
Remember- Remind
Her face remembers me of my
mother.

22. Ordering
 Change the position of words.
Always my friend and I go to school.
I like very much football.
Then, he entered the room, he saw a
shadow strange.
The eye-blued girl.

23. False cognates
 Words with similar spelling in L1
and L2 but with different meaning.
Assist – asistir
Exit – éxito
carpet – carpeta
delete - delito

24. Fossilisation
 When certain grammar point or
certain structure is badly used by a
person whose level of English is
quite advanced.
 This usually happens with non-
native speakers.
People is – People are

25. Errors as part of Language
Creativity
 A pedestrian hit me and went under my
car.
 The guy was all over the road, I had to
swerve a number of times before I hit
him.
 I collided with a stationary truck coming
the other way.
 Doctor of women and other diseases.

26.  I had been driving for 40 years when I fell
asleep at the wheel and had an accident.
 The pedestrian had no idea which way to
run, so I ran over him.
 For those who have children and don´t
know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
 Tuesday at 4 PM there will be an ice
cream social. All ladies giving milk will
please come early.

27.  Thursday at 5 PM, there will be a
meeting of the little Mother´s club. All
ladies wishing to be “little mothers” will
meet with the pastor in his study.
 Christopher Columbus was a great
navigator who discovered America while
cursing about the Atlantic.
 Bach was the most famous composer in
the world, and so was Handel. Handel
was half, German, half Italian, and half
English. He was very large. Bach died
from 1750 to the present.

28. Inevitability of Errors
 Making errors is an important part
of the learning process.
 Ss are always afraid of making
errors so they do not produce.
 Grading material.
 Not long paragraphs at early stages.

29.  The Role of the teacher is to
encourage learners to produce
written language, and do not stop
the learning process and motivation
with overcorrection of the learner.
 The importance of correcting
errors, whatever their nature is, has
vast implications for judging and in
grading tests, exams and written
work.

30. There is some research that shows
English language students do not make
effective use of teacher-corrections.
Every English writing teacher would
like to imagine that their student takes
their corrected paper home, pulls out a
dictionary and grammar book and
carefully goes over each correction.
Unfortunately, most students only check
to see how much "red" is on the paper
and then file it away - never to be looked
at again.

31. A course in Language Teaching –
Penny Ur
“Not all mistakes need to be corrected:
the main aim of language learning is to
receive and convey meaningful
messages, and correction should be
focused on mistakes that interfere with
this aim, not on inaccuracies of usage”