Error Correction
Mica Thibodeaux
School of Education/Louisiana State University- Shreveport ESL603
Dr. Katie Jones
August 11, 2024
One major connection that I have seen within these articles and what I already knew was the
importance of timely feedback, making sure that students feel motivated within their journey of
language acquisition, and providing ways to make error correction a positive experience and not
one that feels negative. Some of my favorite examples came from using activities as a way to
keep it positive. One that I enjoyed that I believed would work with older students was turning
and using the student errors into a discussion forum that is done in a carefree and positive
environment(C., Kirsten, 2016).
The three points of error correction that I find most important are having students involved in the
correcting, addressing learner anxiety, and the method used for correcting. I think that by
engaging the students in the process of correction keeps them aware, but makes it more
collaborative, which helps promote self-correcting methods and further autonomy. Making sure
to address learner anxiety I think is a major key to error correction and doing it correctly. This
can be managed by making sure to always use positive reinforcement and encouraging students.
How the corrections are delivered is also really important. Choosing a method that is
constructive and promotes a positive learning environment is vital.
I found that what I found confusing was differentiating between a mistake and an error and how
to deal with repeated errors without causing students to feel discouraged. This requires a lot of
judgment calls and can get confusing until you get comfortable doing so. As a former student of
language, I know how it feels to be discouraged due to overcorrecting. It can be confusing to find
ways that are effective but also eliminate that threat of demotivation.
My plan is to have an approach that focuses on oral correction. I wish to prioritize
communicating with students and only make corrections in moments where errors will impede
on the understanding of a concept. This approach is only going to continue the driving
motivation and confidence within my students surrounding oral communication, which is vital
for acquiring languages. Doing so orally can also help with eliminating learner anxiety and
include students in their learning process.
References
C., Kirsten (2016) My students’ favourite error correction activity. The TEFL Life: A TEFL
blog. (2016, November 7). [Link]
students-favourite-error-correction-activity/