Match the term for correction, A–I, with the description of the correction strategy 1–9
from the box below
A. Finger correction B. Peer correction C. Delayed correction D. Reformulation E. Echo
correction F. Immediate correction G. Self correction H. Time line I. Correction code
1.In fluency activities, teachers may decide not to correct learners at the time that the
mistake is made, but may prefer to leave the correction till later in the lesson.
2 A method used when students make a mistake and the teacher repeats the mistake
with rising intonation, encouraging students to correct themselves, e.g. Student: He don’t
like it. Teacher: Don’t? Student: He doesn’t like it.
3 When students are able to correct language mistakes they have made, perhaps with
some help from the teacher.
4 This is a way of drawing attention to where a learner has made a mistake. The teacher
counts out the words a student has said on her fingers. The fingers represent words and
the teacher can show clearly in which word (finger) the mistake was made. A teacher
may use her fingers to show that a mistake has been made with word or sentence stress,
word order, grammar, pronunciation, etc.
5.A method used when a teacher corrects what a student has said by repeating the
sentence correctly, but without drawing the students’ attention to their mistake. This is
usually the way parents ‘correct’ their young children’s language mistakes.
6 A diagram that shows learners the relationship between tense and time. It is often used
in language teaching to correct learners when they use tenses wrongly.
7. When a teacher corrects the error as soon as it s made. This is usually in activities
where the focus is on accuracy.
8.A series of symbols a teacher may use to mark students’ writing, so that they can
correct mistakes by themselves, e.g. P = punctuation mistake, T = tense mistake.
9 This is when teachers ask learners to correct each other, rather than correcting them
herself.
Types of error
Task 1.Find the errors in sentences 1-5 and match them with the classifications (a-e).
Errors Classification
1.Alice like this school a problem with word stress
2.Where you did go yesterday? b problem with intonation
3.I eat shocolates every day c grammar (problem with word order)
d grammar (verb / noun agreement )
4.'This sofa is very comFORTable.'
e pronunciation( /ʃ// vs ʧ/)
5.It is a lovely day, isn't it?'
Types of error
Task 1.Find the errors in sentences 1-5 and match them with the classifications (a-e).
Errors Classification
1.Alice like this school a problem with word stress
2.Where you did go yesterday? b problem with intonation
3.I eat shocolates every day c grammar (problem with word order)
d grammar (verb / noun agreement )
4.'This sofa is very comFORTable.'
e pronunciation( /ʃ// vs ʧ/)
5.It is a lovely day, isn't it?'
Activity 3 ( 7 minutes)
When to correct
Read the lesson situations. What should the teacher do about the learners' errors? Choose the best
Answer for each lesson. Then compare ideas with a partner.
a The teacher should not correct the error.
b The teacher should delay correction - and provide feedback at the end of the activity.
c The teacher should correct the error immediately.
Lesson 1
The students are working in different groups. The teacher is walking around the class,
monitoring, and
hears these utterances from speakers in the different groups.
S 1: Technology is such important for all of us.
S 2: In my country, everyone uses computers ...
S 3: Yeah, I am agree with Anja
S 4: I prefer to text friends than email them.
Lesson 2
T: And what is your job, Freddie?
5: I work in hotel. My job is to make the guests.
Lesson 3 ~I
T: We have a new student today. Vera, can you introduce yourself?
5: I am coming from Moscow. I am happy to join this class.
Lesson 4
The students have just listened to a recorded interview.
T: OK- what instrument does he play?
5: He is play saxophone.
Correction strategies
Work in pairs. Compare the ways that different teachers responded to the same error. Explain
their strategies.
S: We go to the beach yesterday.
a T1: Yesterday - so, grammar?
b T2: Yesterday, you ....
c T3: Not quite, look: We go to the beach yesterday. [Holds up hand and indicates
second finger from left from the learners' point of view.]
d T4: Sorry, do you mean you go every day? •
e T5: You went to the beach - that's nice. Who did you go with?
f T6: makes no comment; the activity continues until, at the end, the teacher says, 'I
heard someone say, "We go to the beach yesterday." Can anyone correct that?'
Correction strategies
Work in pairs. Compare the ways that different teachers responded to the same error. Explain
their strategies.
S: We go to the beach yesterday.
a T1: Yesterday - so, grammar?
b T2: Yesterday, you ....
c T3: Not quite, look: We go to the beach yesterday. [Holds up hand and indicates
second finger from left from the learners' point of view.]
d T4: Sorry, do you mean you go every day? •
e T5: You went to the beach - that's nice. Who did you go with?
f T6: makes no comment; the activity continues until, at the end, the teacher says, 'I
heard someone say, "We go to the beach yesterday." Can anyone correct that?'
Task 2
Did your teacher use any of the strategies above ? If so, were they effective?
Correction strategy Advantages
Teacher prompts using terminology,
e.g. grammar , tense , pronunciation ,
etc
Teacher repeats the
utterance to the point of the
error. e.g. Yesterday you ...
Finger correction (Teacher
uses fingers to indicate the
position of the error.)
Teacher asks a question,
e.g. Do you mean you go
everyday?
Reformulation,
e.g. You went to the beach .
Delayed correction
Work in groups of three.
Student A: Play the role of the learner. Take a card and read out the error.
Student B: Play the role of the teacher. Correct A's error.
Student C: Play the role of an observer. Give feedback on the success of the
correction strategy.
He don’t know what to do?
If I was you, I would study more for
exams.
She no likes me.
He likes DEsserts
I have tree sisters
Do we must leave now ?
Helen is wedding her.boyfriend next
week
