Transcript Mistakes and their correction

Mistakes and their
correction
Презентация выполнена учителем
английского языка МОУ СОШ № 21
города Ставрополя
Борисенко Валентиной Борисовной.
Mistakes
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Mistakes show problems
either with accuracy, i.e. using the correct
form of the language,
or with communication , i.e. sharing
information clearly
Mistakes
oral
written
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Learners can make oral or written
mistakes.
Oral mistakes are mistakes learners
make when they are speaking.
They make mistakes in the accuracy of,
for example, grammar, pronunciation or
vocabulary or in the degree of formality
of the language they use.
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In written language, learners make
mistakes, for example, in grammar,
spelling, paragraphing, ordering of
information or punctuation.
Mistakes
errors
slips
Learners are usually able
to correct slips themselves
Why should we correct student’s
mistakes?
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The teacher has set up the communicative activity and
allowed it to follow, giving the learners the maximum
opportunity to participate and to use their language skills
to the full. The lesson ends without a feedback stage
and the students leave the classroom.
They have certainly practiced speaking and, no doubt,
practiced listening. What, on the other hand, have they
learnt?
They may be left with the feeling that although they
were practicing using their English, they were making a
lot of errors and that no-one was taking responsibility for
dealing with these errors.
On the other hand, we should remember that it makes
learners lose motivation if we correct every mistake they
make.
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When we correct learners we show them
that something is wrong and that they
have made a mistake.
We correct these mistakes in different
ways.
We use oral correction techniques to
correct oral mistakes and written
correction techniques to correct written
mistakes
Oral correction
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Drawing a time line on the board. Time lines
show learners the relationship between the use
of a verb tense and time. This technique is
particularly used for mistakes such as ‘I have
seen that film two weeks ago’. The time line to
show this mistake might look like this.
Past
Now
Future
two weeks ago
This shows learners that, because the event is in the past and the time
is specified, they cannot use the present perfect.
Finger correction
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This shows learners where they have made a
mistake.
We show one hand to the class and point to
each finger in turn as we say each word in the
sentence.
One finger is usually used for each word.
This technique is particularly used when learners
have left out a word or when we use a
contraction, for example I’m working rather than
I am working. We bring two fingers together to
show that we want them to bring the two words
together.
Echo technique
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It means repeating. Repeating what a
learner says with rising intonation will
show the learner that there is a mistake
somewhere. You will find this technique
works well when learners have made small
slips which you feel confident they can
correct themselves.
Correction symbols
Some teachers use prompts for
correction while speaking.
Some well-known examples are:
 Make a ‘T’ with fingers to illustrate
missing ‘the’.
 Show a small word missing by holding
thumb and forefinger close together.
 Cross hands over to show wrong
word order.
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Pull ear to show irregular past tense: ‘ear’
sounds the same as the first syllable in
‘irregular’.
‘With’ and ‘by’ e. g. with car – teacher waves
to signal ’bye’, which sounds the same as ‘by’.
Missing ‘ing’ e. g. I am wait for a bus – T says
‘(t)ing’ like a bell ringing.
Unnecessary ‘to’ e.g. I must to go draw -2
(minus two) on the board in the air.
Buzz like a bee to show missing verb ‘be’ e. g.
I going.
Correction table
Draw a table on the board. While students are talking,
point to the type of mistake, giving students a chance to
self-correct. You could ask for volunteers to speak, e. g.
a pair. Afterwards students could try it in groups, with
two speaking and one listening and pointing. A table
could look like this:
Preposition
Wrong tense,
Wrong/ missing
e.g. simple/continuous
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Article a/
the missing
/wrong
Simple present,
3rd person – s,
e.g. He go.
They goes
Word order,
e.g. I speak well
English.
Speaking graphs
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Ask for a pair of volunteers to speak on a
certain subject. While they are speaking,
draw a line on a graph which represents
the students’ level of speaking quality.
When mistakes are made the line goes
down. When the students are speaking
well, it goes up. Make a note of the
positive things as well as the mistakes
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Here’s an example of a feedback commentary.
After a slow start, this conversation picks up.
The