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Evaluation, Error Correction in Accuracy and Fluency Activities

1. The document discusses the differences between mistakes and errors in language learning. Mistakes are slips made by learners who generally know the correct form, while errors occur due to incomplete learning and the learner cannot self-correct. 2. Common causes of errors and mistakes include poor teaching, unsuitable learning materials, interference from the native language, overgeneralizing rules, carelessness, and simplifying complex communication. 3. Teachers should not correct all mistakes, as it can inhibit fluency development. They can choose to ignore mistakes, note them for later discussion, or invite self-correction, depending on whether the focus is on accuracy or fluency. Correction should be tactful and avoid embarrassment.

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73 views2 pages

Evaluation, Error Correction in Accuracy and Fluency Activities

1. The document discusses the differences between mistakes and errors in language learning. Mistakes are slips made by learners who generally know the correct form, while errors occur due to incomplete learning and the learner cannot self-correct. 2. Common causes of errors and mistakes include poor teaching, unsuitable learning materials, interference from the native language, overgeneralizing rules, carelessness, and simplifying complex communication. 3. Teachers should not correct all mistakes, as it can inhibit fluency development. They can choose to ignore mistakes, note them for later discussion, or invite self-correction, depending on whether the focus is on accuracy or fluency. Correction should be tactful and avoid embarrassment.

Uploaded by

Anonymous kQ7zl7GyF
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Evaluation, error correction in accuracy and fluency activities

People learn a foreign language not because they want to speak without mistakes, but because
they want to communicate with someone else. Unfortunately the common experience says
that students and teachers, too, believe that making a mistake is a sign of failure. Students are
usually afraid of speaking as they are afraid of the teacher jumping on all his/her mistakes,
they are afraid of other students laughing at them. They do not like being taught writing as
they suffer from the red pencil syndrome. This point of view should no longer be valid.
Mistakes were made, are made and will always be made. In fact they belong to learning. They
are an integral part of the process of education and they play an important role. In a good
atmosphere they are teachers and learners friends showing both the right way and telling
them where to go next.
We should distinguish between the mistakes and errors, anyway.
Mistakes
Following are some definitions:
A mistake appears when the learner has learnt something and sometimes gets it right but
sometimes uses a wrong form. (Norrish, John: Language learners and their errors,
Macmillan.)
What does the J.Edge say in Mistakes and Correction (Longman)? The most important sort
of mistake is a mistake that leads to a misunderstanding.
The Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics tells us the following: a mistakes is
caused by lack of attention, fatigue, carelessness, or some other aspect of performance.
Errors
What can be found in Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English? A thing
done wrongly, a mistake. It is a very brief explanation. Anyway, can we agree?
J.Edge in Mistakes and Correction (Longman) says: if the student cannot self-correct a
mistake in his or her own English, but the teacher thinks that the class is familiar with the
correct form.
The Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics gives the following definition: The use of a
linguistic item (eg. A word, a grammatical item, a speech act, etc.) in a way which a fluent or
native speaker of the language regards as showing faulty or incomplete learning. Errors are
sometimes classified according to vocabulary (lexical error), pronunciation (phonological
error), grammar (syntactic error), misunderstanding of a speakers intention or meaning
(interpretive error), production of the wrong communicative effect, eg. Through the faulty use
of a speech act or one of the rules of speaking (pragmatic error).
The conclusion may be that the error results from incomplete knowledge, while a mistake
happens thanks to lack of attention. A mistake is a slip of the tongue. A learner can probably
correct his or her mistakes. An error, on the other hand, occurs because the learner does not
know the correct form and so cannot produce it at this stage of learning. Errors can show the
evidence of learning. So cannot the mistakes. Errors are generally systematic while mistakes
are generally non-systematic and learners are normally able to identify and correct them.
Anyway teachers and methodologists, too, sometimes do not distinguish between these two
expressions and talk only about the mistakes. Learners making mistakes should be viewed as
positive. Mistakes are a sign that the learners are learning something. They are steps to the
success and should be viewed this way.

Causes of errors and mistakes


1 Poor teaching: the thing has not been explained and trained well. The teacher has not used
methods suitable to different intelligences in the class. S/he might not have given the students
chance to practice the thing etc.
2 The range of materials: Wide range of materials does not always solve the problem. They
must be aimed at the item taught, train all four skills. They must be suitable for the age and
level of students.
3 Interference from the mother tongue: The influence of the native language can be heard or
seen in pronunciation, grammar and even in vocabulary (eg. false friends).
4 Errors from the learning process: English language has many rules and, of course, many
exceptions. Over-generalisation of the rules or neglecting exceptions may cause serious
misunderstandings.
5 Carelessness: Either the teacher or the student are not well focused on the problem
neglecting its importance.
6 Responding to the demands of complex communication: The user of the language tends to
simplify or omit parts of the sentences believing it might sound more natural.
Responding to learners errors and mistakes
Before we start talking about the teachers reaction we should mention what accuracy and
fluency is. Accuracy describes the learners use of grammar, vocabulary and phonology.
Fluency describes the learners ability to convey, to produce or to understand a message as it
is intended.
Should all mistakes in fluency and accuracy be corrected? Of course not! J.Edge in Mistakes
and Correction (Longman) says: the importance of mistakes is that they should often be
ignored. The teachers must be sensible, empathetic and experienced enough to know when
correction is needed and when not at all. Generally we correct most mistakes when we are
focused on accuracy. On the other hand, when fluency is highlighted, we leave the mistakes
uncorrected. Just after the presentation the most important mistakes can be mentioned.
The teachers can respond to learners errors and mistakes in a number of ways:
1 They can stop the student and
a) Invite him to correct himself.
b) Encourage other students to supply a correction
c) Supply a correction themselves.
2 They can make a note of the error or mistake and talk about it later either individually or
with the whole class.
3 They can choose not to respond.
It is up to the teacher, which out of the techniques mentioned above s/he chooses. S/he will
certainly flavour the technique with fingers, gestures, facial expressions, chalk, pencils
Showing incorrectness is a difficult task and should be used with tact and consideration. It is
important not to rush into correction before we know what someone wants to say. We should
think about politeness as well as correctness. Most students hate being corrected in front of
the whole class and we have to find the ways avoiding the public sometimes. Correction
should not be a kind of criticism or punishment. When we evaluate, we not only find mistakes
but we also point out positives. Students should not feel embarrassed any time they make a
mistake. Encouragement is sometimes more important than correction. A well-known saying
that can be found in several languages says: We learn through our errors.

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