![]() Vol. XII No. 2 January 2000
|
![]() Error correction in the second language classroom "Considerable research done in the area of error correction seems to support the idea that increased direct error correction does not lead to greater accuracy in the target language" (Richard-Amato, 1995) We all remember those big red "X's" on our brilliant literary works of art and we probably remember the way we felt when we say them. Error correction is one of the most debated topics in the field of second language teaching- when do we correct errors? When do we ignore them? How do we correct them? It appears that ignoring them completely is not an option but that direct, overt, punitive sorts of correction techniques do not serve our students very well. It is "affectively" quite damaging and it does not help to improve their proficiency in the language. In Richard-Amato's book "Making it Happen: Interaction in the second language classroom," she touches on some very important points that researches have discovered when examining the topic or error correction. The following list summarizes some of the error correction strategies that work well in an interactive, communicative/experiential classroom:
A topic very closely related to that of error correction, is assessment. If your learning environment is interactive, experiential in nature than this should have a washback effect on your evaluation. Don't get stuck in the pen and paper test rut. Assessment strategies can be as varied and as creative as your teaching strategies. This issue of Le Lien gives some helpful hints for giving effective feedback and for creating positive assessment experiences. An example of a generic template that could be used for assessing group projects has also been provided. In addition to Richard-Amato's book, the recently published "Manuel pour la foramtion des enseignants et des enseignantes: L'enseignement des langues secondes d'après une approche communicative/ experientielle" devotes an entire chapter to assessment strategies for the the communicative/ experiential language class. A copy of this manual can be obtained by contacting SLEC. Sources: Richard-Amato, P.A. (1995). Making it Happen. Longman Lightbown, P.& Spada, N. (1999). How Languages are Learned: Revised Edition. Oxford Press. |
![]() |
This page maintained by SLEC |
Homepage ![]() |