Error Correction

1. Mistakes are good and students need to know they are. Explain that we learn best through making mistakes.  Of course, we hope not the same ones over and over...


2. Sometimes, tutors should correct mistakes anonymously. Do this by making notes of students' mistakes as you monitor their English and then work on them later. 


3. When a student makes a mistake it’s not wise to say "No!"/"That's wrong!"  It's better to say "Not bad"/"Almost"/"Good try"/"That's an interesting mistake"


4. The ability to self-correct is an important one for students to develop. Encourage it and give them time to correct themselves - don't jump in immediately to correct them. Most students (and indeed some teachers) seem to think that it is the teacher's job to correct students mistakes but this is not necessarily so.  Teachers can correct their students endlessly but this is not real life.  It's much better if learners get into the habit of listening to themselves when they are speaking and correct themselves as they go along.  


5. Don’t correct every mistake, especially in conversation.  Accuracy is important but so is fluency.  Learners need to be able to keep a conversation going and constant interruptions will be discouraging and counter-productive.


6. Be careful with humour but sometimes it’s okay to laugh about mistakes, especially when you can blame the craziness of the English language.


7. Learning English is like learning to ride a bike - you fall off a lot, but you get the hang of it in the end. You will make a lot of mistakes but you will be able to communicate effectively in the end.