Error corrections
Correcting students is a tricky thing. A good teacher should know when and how to correct. The first and most important thing is to know what we are currently practicing: accuracy or fluency? If we focus on fluency, let’s not correct, it’s about using the language on our own, making students realize their actual capabilities in L2. But when the task is focused on accuracy then yes, corrections might be necessary. So…how should we correct?
As an answer to this question, I’ve focused my observations on this issue for around 4 lessons. Seems like my mentor teacher follows the idea of correcting in case of accuracy practice. The corrections are usually used with drilling or one answer tasks. And how does she do it? Mostly asks students to repeat after her many, many time, if individual drilling there are still some problems with pronunciation she gives some opportunities to improve them. Sometimes she asks the students what do they think if they are sure. If they are not aware she asks other students. Maybe it’s true that it’s easier to bear correction from group mates than from a teacher. Sometimes she also paraphrases students words by using the things they wanted to use in a correct form so they can improve it on their own.
If it’s about writing, she doesn’t use red color as a typical teacher. When there is a typo in the word, instead of crossing our only one letter she rewrites the whole word in green, so that student is exposed to the correct form, and in green so it looks nice still.
That’s pretty much everything I’ve observed in the classroom, nevertheless, those are very interesting and effective ideas of corrections. I believe in this way students are feeling fine and fair and they have the opportunity to correct themselves on their own. I didn’t expect it to work well, remembering my high school times no one wanted to correct another student not to humiliate him. Maybe to this early exposure to the idea of peer- and self-correcting students are more opened to suggestions and honest. One day I will check it out!
Thanks for reading!
As an answer to this question, I’ve focused my observations on this issue for around 4 lessons. Seems like my mentor teacher follows the idea of correcting in case of accuracy practice. The corrections are usually used with drilling or one answer tasks. And how does she do it? Mostly asks students to repeat after her many, many time, if individual drilling there are still some problems with pronunciation she gives some opportunities to improve them. Sometimes she asks the students what do they think if they are sure. If they are not aware she asks other students. Maybe it’s true that it’s easier to bear correction from group mates than from a teacher. Sometimes she also paraphrases students words by using the things they wanted to use in a correct form so they can improve it on their own.
If it’s about writing, she doesn’t use red color as a typical teacher. When there is a typo in the word, instead of crossing our only one letter she rewrites the whole word in green, so that student is exposed to the correct form, and in green so it looks nice still.
That’s pretty much everything I’ve observed in the classroom, nevertheless, those are very interesting and effective ideas of corrections. I believe in this way students are feeling fine and fair and they have the opportunity to correct themselves on their own. I didn’t expect it to work well, remembering my high school times no one wanted to correct another student not to humiliate him. Maybe to this early exposure to the idea of peer- and self-correcting students are more opened to suggestions and honest. One day I will check it out!
Thanks for reading!
Comments
Post a Comment