ERROR MANAGEMENT

Regardless of the skill you are learning, errors are inevitable. Errors, however, can be positive when they are
used to develop our abilities. Yet not all errors are the same; sometimes, they seem to be deeply ingrained, yet
at other times, learners correct themselves with apparent ease. In a classroom, to be specific, what teachers
must take into consideration, is generating a positive classroom atmosphere in which learners would feel safe
to make errors. In fact, the teacher’s attitude towards the learners Errors and the skills he/she uses to
manage these errors is what determines whether they can be used to promote the process of learning or as
many think would turn out to be demotivating.

Types of errors:
1. Structure: tense/word order
2. Vocabulary: lack of vocabulary or inappropriate use
3. Poor pronunciation/stress & intonation
4. Appropriacy
5. Avoidance
6. Fluency and etc.

MANAGEMENT
Although the principles of how to manage Errors in a class based on both the level and individuals can be
puzzling for many, it can be easily summed up in these 3 questions:
1. What to correct? 2. When to correct? 3. How to correct?

Which errors to correct:

1. Comprehensibility: Errors that cause misunderstanding or lack of comprehension

2. Frequency: Errors that are either made by an entire class or are repeatedly made by an individual. Correcting
these errors will usually be more beneficial and will result in a greater percentage of accurate language.

3. Pedagogical focus: Errors in structures and forms which students have recently learnt in the class or the
errors in activities that happen to be the focus of the day should be corrected. In these cases, if too many
errors are made by the students, the lesson should be presented again in a more careful way.

4. Individual student concerns

WHEN TO CORRECT
Based on the type of activity (fluency / accuracy or controlled practice) and the type of error (pronunciation /
structure…), teachers might decide to correct either on the spot or later on.
Errors in pronunciation or in activities which help improve accuracy are mostly corrected on the spot. On the
other hand, teachers should not stop students from time to time to correct errors when the aim of an activity
is fluency.
Note that in both cases, self-correction is preferable.

HOW TO CORRECT
When the teacher decides that a certain error needs to be corrected, the task can be done by 3 different
sources:
 The student who has made the Error (self-correction)
 Other students (peer correction)
 The teacher (teacher’s correction)
It is obvious that helping students discover and correct their own errors not only gives them confidence and
motivation, but also helps them be independent. That’s why self-correction is the most favorable amongst
them and teacher correction is the last resort.
 Self-correction
Since learning is an individual process, each student should take responsibility for personal development.
Meanwhile the teacher would only facilitate the process.

PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES

 Lack of confirmation: Using the skill of attentive listening with eye-contact, teachers can use facial
expressions and body language to show learners that correction needs to take place. The best correction
technique is an absence of confirmation. In this case, you just stop giving positive feedback.
 Pinpointing: Repeating the student’s sentence up to the error.
 Gestures & gimmicks: acting out the word that the learner is looking for. Gimmicks can be used to deal with
overly repeated errors.
 Explaining keywords / Prompting: A very effective way in elementary levels. The board should be carefully
used in this case.
 Repetition: The teacher can ask the student to repeat the sentence containing the error. Note that this should
be done in a very tactful and discreet way.
 Grammatical terms: Effective in controlled practice activities

Peer Correction
As effective and helpful as it could be, having a student correcting another could turn out to be demotivating if
mismanaged by the teacher. The teacher has to avoid calling on the same student or small group all the time,
because the others may be sensitive to favoritism. To avoid all these, teachers can use a simple “can anyone
help?” phrase and pick the students who want to correct the error carefully. At the same time, the student who
has made the error should still have the chance to correct his/her Error.

However, peer correction has several advantages:

 Students themselves would be responsible for the learning process

 This type of correction will sure be easy to understand for those who have made the error
 Like self-correction, it will result in an increased STT and lower the TTT
 For students who previously thought a foreign language was impossible to learn, seeing classmates
correcting the errors can be motivating

 Once the students know that they all could be responsible for correcting an error in the class, managing in
terms of drawing the learner’s attention towards the lesson would be easier.
Teacher’s Correction
Teachers must correct only when they want to save time or avoid the confusion of more errors. And more
importantly, only when both self & peer corrections have failed.
 Isolate the problem
 Appreciate the correct part
 Teachers should use more positive than negative language in verbal and written responses. Correction should
be done gently and with respect
 Give the correct form
 The students have to use the correct form (not only approving it)

Tips on correcting
 Praise whenever possible
 Hold students accountable for the correct answer
 Keep the class involved
 Acknowledge all responses as a contribution, regardless of their correctness