Some Tips For Error Correction

When and how to correct has always been one of the dilemmas for teachers, especially associated with language teaching. Whether it’s a verbal concern or a written, the level of controversy is about equal. The main reason for this controversy is the different dimensions students and teachers think in.

Error correction also varies from subject to subject and the strategies largely depend on age groups and academic level, but the essence of it remains almost same in all ages, academic levels and subjects, i.e. taking the individuals towards maximum perfection. Here’re some general tips that can help teachers to make the error correction process working at its best for them:

• Error correction is the most powerful tool for bringing up the best but motivation is also at risk, if the error correction rules are too stringent. The most important thing to focus in this context is the identification of dimensions, i.e. you’re considering fluency or accuracy. The former is much involved in spoken concerns, while later in written. Identification of dimension clears a way to correct the errors that doesn’t lessen the level of motivation in students. So prepare more and more written activities, if accuracy is the matter else spoken activities.

• The next important concern after identifying dimensions is to ensure the error correction in minimum possible time, for students may get used to a mistake if they have been repeating it for a long time, and prolonged practice of a mistake makes it a habit. ‘Spot correction’ is considered to be the best choice, so plan the activities that have maximum possibility of spot correction.

• In higher grades, teachers can rely on either self-correction or peer-correction that helps motivating the students as well. For self-correction, teachers can outline some mistakes and let students know about them. Whenever a student has a slip, he himself can come back to the exact track. The peer-correction works while letting students to review each other’s work (they’re aware of the mistakes here as well).

• Find new mistakes that your students make, number of new mistakes represent the level of their exploration.

• Whatever the way you use for error correction, make sure that it should sound a positive experience for the individual and he should have the feeling that he learned form it rather than he was pointed out.
  

By Qurratulain Akhtar