This document discusses dealing with spoken errors in language learning. It provides examples of common learner errors and their potential causes. Some key points discussed include: - Common errors may result from factors like first language interference, unclear teaching, or not enough practice. - Whether and how to correct errors depends on considerations like the lesson stage and focus, the learner's level and personality. Correction should be beneficial and avoid interrupting students. - Strategies for dealing with errors include self-correction, delayed feedback, and practical approaches like recognition, description, explanation, and remedy of mistakes. The timing and method of correction requires judgment in each situation.

1. Dealing with spoken errorsDealing with spoken errors

2. Write down 6 words you associate with the word
‘mistake’*
Compare your words with a partner
* Note in this session error and mistake are used interchangeably

3. “ Mummy I got a B in my English Exam”
“That’s good but how many mistakes did you make?”
Error is worse than ignorance (Philip James Bailey)
The cautious seldom err (Confucius)

4. How do feel about these sentences? Correct or not?
1. Manchester United are the winningest team in English football.
2. As she kissed him loudly on the cheek the mwah rang out across
the park.
3. Gareth is wicked, he is the coolest person I know.
4. There are less people here than yesterday
5. There’s seven cars in the car park.

5. Types / causes of error
• With a partner, can you think of some
common errors made by language
learners and then discuss what might be
the cause of them.
• NB: It may be that sometimes the teacher
(current or previous) is the cause of the error. It
could be first language interference.

6. Teacher’s fault
• Unclear presentation of
language
• Not giving the students enough
practice of the language
• Teacher overgeneralising the
rule (e.g. add s to make a
plural, add s in the 3rd person)
• Teacher oversimplifying the
rule (e.g. some/any)
• Overloading the students (e.g.
too many tenses in one
lesson)
• Presenting language to a too
low level (e.g. doing the 3rd
conditional with beginners)
• Giving the wrong rules
Student’s fault
• Too tired, stressed from work
etc
• Not paying attention in class /
copying down wrongly from the
whiteboard
• Not studying outside of school
• Experimenting with the
language
• Mishearing the teacher
• First language interference

7. Causes of error
1. T: Are you angry? St: No, I had lunch 2 hours ago
2. In street there was man with large dog
3. T: Ask her where she went last night. St: Where you went last night?
4. I was a host at a party last night. My best friend was celebrating her birthday
5. He gave me some useful informations.
6. He gived me useful information.
7. My skin is very sensible
8. They bought their son a fluffy little pub for his birthday.
9. I saw TV last night
10. “Hi Sarah, this is John, I was wondering if you would accompany me to the disco on
Saturday?”
11. I went to a disco on Saturday even though I love dancing.

8. The lesson has started, the teacher and students are
discussing together, in open class, the answers to the
homework exercise that the teacher has set the
previous week (on phrasal verbs). There is a knock on
the door and in walks a late student. As the student
enters he speaks: “I’m sorry I’m late my father has
taken to hospital”
To which the teacher replies: “No, not has taken but
has been taken.

9. If and when to correct errors
Things to consider:
• The lesson
– Stage
– Focus
– Time of day
• The student
– Level
– Existing knowledge
– Personality
• Correction
– Necessary / beneficial?
– Who?
– How?
– Time it takes

10. I must to go to work laterI must to go to work later

11. 1. Teachers simply echoing the student’s mistake is not an effective way to correct because…..
2. Teachers verbally interrupting a student can be a bad thing because…..
3. Assuming we want a student to try and self-correct immediately, three ways to avoid verbally
interrupting are….
4. However teachers should be aware that some of the disadvantages of self-correction are….
5. A teacher might decide not to correct if …
6. Some ways of dealing with delayed feedback are….
7. Overall, five practical ways of dealing with spoken errors are….

12. With a partner decide how you would deal with the errors in these situations.
Discuss each situation and decide:
Would you correct the error or mistake?
How exactly would you correct it?
When exactly would you correct it?
Situation 1
You are doing a drill to practise the present perfect and past simple.
You ask, “Have you ever been to the mountains?”
A student responds, “I’ve went to the mountains on France last year.”

13. Situation 2
You are doing a warm up
activity with your class. In
the activity a student
says, “Last week was my
mother’s birthday, she is
five and fifty .”
Situation 3
Your learners are working
in groups; their task is to
plan what to do together
at the weekend. Several
learners in different
groups are making the
same mistake, saying “We
go to the restaurant” or
“We go on a trip.”
Situation 4
Your class has just been
introduced to the function
‘Let’s do something’. You
are organising a trip with
your class and you are
discussing what to do; a
learner says, Let go
swimming.
Situation 5
Your learners are writing
a postcard in pairs about
their summer holiday to a
friend at home. One pair
has written, ‘I am go to
restaurant every day.’
Adapted from Tasks for Teacher education by Tanner and Green published by
Pearson Education

14. RECOGNITION Has a mistake been made?
DESCRIPTION What kind of mistake?
How serious is it?
EXPLANATION What caused it?
REMEDY Should I act?
How should I act?
When should I act?
Four steps to error correction