Teaching tip 3: Correcting Errors

When and how to correct mistakes requires discretion and skill. A teacher who continually jumps in to correct will block the flow, causing students to stop talking for fear of being wrong. On the other hand, letting errors pass means that bad habits become persistent.

a) Immediately: when you want to ensure accuracy, or when fluency is not the key factor. Note: in this case make sure that students do repeat the corrected form. It is not enough that you correct – students must copy orally and practice. This usually occurs when presenting the language.

b) Delayed: wait until the student has finished speaking but return quickly to the error to ensure correct usage. Take notes and choose an appropriate time to correct.

c) Very delayed: sometimes the activity is so interesting that the dynamics are more important than accuracy. If you feel that correction will take away from the energy of the event, be subtle and incorporate the corrections in tests, games or warm-ups without stressing where the mistakes came from.

a) Teacher correcting: the most common way. Remember: you are a resource, not a judge. If students are continually making eye-contact with you to check if it’s okay, then it’s not okay. They’re afraid of making mistakes.

b) Teacher hints: every teacher should develop a range of hand gestures, which indicate certain predefined situations to students. ‘Incorrect’ could be shown by a to-and-fro motion of the finger; ‘wrong word order’ by a circular motion of the two forefingers.

c) Self-correcting: with helpful gestures from the teacher, students will often be able to offer a corrected version themselves.

d) Peer-correcting: an essential technique for a dynamic teacher is to use fellow students to rectify errors, but be careful of the class ‘know-it-all’.

a) Get your class to repeat the correct form of a structure.

b) Isolate the problem. If most of the class is making the same mistakes, then you may need to go back, clarify and repeat what you have taught.

c) Be positive and patient. Rather than viewing mistakes as a failure of your teaching ability, see them as helpful signposts where more attention needs to be put.

d) Use pair-work. Let students resolve problems for themselves.

a) Jump in, get angry or intimidate.

b) Simply correct and leave it. Do constantly review the correction and practice it.

c) Forget to keep your own records. The mistakes that your students are making are very important as a guide to what you need to focus on.