The Treatment Of Errors In The Classroom English Language Essay

The Treatment Of Errors In The Classroom English Language EssayLAST PART OF CHAPTER 3As I menti integrityd before, misplay countervailion is the ho practiseroom activity that most people think as bingle of the language instructors most all-important(prenominal) functions (Nunan, 1989 9). This is because most of the time the instructor is the one who corrects.The first and most important step a teacher essential take is to determine the aim of the activity. As Ancker (2000 20) mentioned in his article Errors and disciplinary Feedback, if the objective is to break accuracy, hence of course castigation is necessary. In this case, the correct approach is to allow the student to self-correct first. If that does not work, teachers should allow look rectification. that if no one seems to know, teachers basin give the answer or correct.Although computer error field seems time consuming, it helps students to focus their attention and to reduce their colony on the teacher, a nd this reduction of dependence encourages students autonomy. On the other choke, if the objective of the activity is to develop fluency, then correction may not be necessary (Ancker, 2000 20). Unless the error has been do umteen times, then the error correction needs to take place.One important question is who should correct learners errors. There are three possible answers to the question the teacher, the learner him/herself or the others learners (peer-correction). But this will depend on the importance or success of the error corrections, as well as the ability of the students to do self or peer correction. According to Ellis (1994 489) studies of repair in naturally occurring conversations own shown a preference for self-initiated and self-completed repair. But, in many cases the teacher is the one who usually corrects students in the patternroom.It may be appropriate to allow the learner to self-correct with place any further help from the teacher by using clarification requests such as what?, excuse me?, what did you rigorous by ..?, etc. That is because learners are actually capable of making changes in their developing Interlanguage systems ( all(prenominal)w proper and Bailey, 1994 49). Most of the times, teacher intervention should be reduced and students must be encouraged to provide feedback to their partners. In one interpretation of language acquisition, Kessler (1992 85) suggests that the monitor can prevent or repair some errors under definite conditions. These conditions include a) a focus on stratum, rather than on communication of meaning, and b) adequate time for the learner to process the forthput.Ellis (1994 ibidem) conducted a resume to find show up whether learners reformulate their use of past filter in their utterances, when given a minute of arc opportunity to do so, or ignore it. He found out that those who, when pushed through a request for clarification to reformulate their utterances, did so, by correctly forming the past tense and main(prenominal)tained their improved accuracy in the past tense on the subsequent occasions.Teachers must drop clear that each teacher must come to an individual decision with respect to interference of errors, just as a proverb says what works well in Madrid may not work well in Tokyo, because not all the students turn over the same personality.Allwright (1996 32) makes a strong claim for the study of error correction in the classroom in which they occur. From this observation, he came to the following conclusions1) Teachers just tend to repeat the correct model rather than telling the student where his error occurred and why it was incorrect.2) Teachers are similarwise inconsistent in their divvy upment of learning errors. (Because errors are not unendingly corrected).Also, Allwright (1996 33) asserted that another possibility is that other learners in the classroom could help by providing corrective feedback if it is necessary. In one experimental stu dy related to this issue, ostiarius (1986, mentioned in Chaudron, 1993 71) found that second language learners were able to accurately correct other learners errors, though they rarely did so.3.1.2.3 Error subject area TechniquesAlthough providing correct forms of learner errors is one of the most popular techniques among many language teachers (Hendrickson, 1980 160), the use of various casefuls of treatment methods has been recommended as it is considered to be more effective and successful than relying upon a single technique (Lynch, 1996, cited in Muncie, 2000 50). Holley and King (1971, cited in Hendrickson, ibidem.) suggest that teachers should not use the methods which make learners feel embarrassed or frustrated. Therefore, teachers should be more sensitive about how to do to learner errors.Fanselow (1977 588) has argued that teachers should offer learners the greatest possible variety of treatments because different people need to be treated differently. Also teachers need to keep on arduous out different possibilities of feedback that would give way to be delivered in such a authority as to provide affective support, so the learners will not be demoralized, at the same time as the negative cognitive information is transmitted.Once teachers do decide to treat noticed errors, and when they will do so, they have a variety of methods to their disposal. Allwright (1975, in Nunan, 1989 32) signifys out the complexities of the teachers task. In the case of error correction, this can be illustrated by the following options confronting the teacher in the face of a leaners errorTo treat or to ignore the error completely.To treat immediately or delay the error.To allow another student, a subgroup or the whole class to find the correct form.To return or not to the original error-maker after treatment.To test for efficacy of treatment.To transfer treatment or not.To let it be self-treated.All these suggested options are appropriate in different moments the teacher only needs to develop the intuition, through experience and solid diverse theoretical foundation. As Allwright has a variety of options, Long (1977, in Allwright and Bailey, 1994 ibidem) also notes that teachers have three choices in deciding what to do when they find the errorTo inform the learner that an error has been madeTo inform the learner of the location of the errorTo inform the learner of the identity of the errorMoreover, C instal (1967, in Allwright, 1996 ibidem) declares that in order to show that in that location is a problem, the teacher usually a) retains evaluation, b) ignores the answer given and repeats the question, c) repeats the trouble source as a question, or d) changes addressee.Errors are inevitable, exclusively if on that point are too many it is in all probability the result of inefficient batch or poor exploitation strategies. Teachers have an arrangement of techniques and nomination strategies to deal with any correction that needs to be made. Correction techniques should be helpful and supportive. When an error is detected, the next problem is that teachers would have to choose the best type of treatment to provide in order to help the second language learners achieve this needed awareness.There are many types of errors and allowing to Slimani (1992, in Panova 2002 582), teachers often use seven types of feedback (or error correction techniques) when correcting errors that occur in the language classroom. They are recast, translation, clarification request, metalinguistic feedback, elicitation, explicit correction and repetition.As Slimani mentioned (ibidem) a recast is an implicit corrective feedback that reformulates a wrong or incomplete utterance. face1. S Dangerous? (Phonological error. /dangerus)T Yeah, intelligent. Dangerous. (Recast) you remember? Safe anddangerous. If you walk in the streets.The second type of correction is the translation (from the teacher) that can be seen in many cases when studen ts dont know how to say a definite utterance, for instance2. T All right, now, which place is near the water?S Non, Jai pas fini (L1)T you havent undefiled? Okay, Bernard, have you finished?(Translation)The purpose of clarification request is to elicit reformulation or repetition from the student who has said a wrong form3. S I pauperism practice today, today (grammatical error)T Im sorry? (Clarification request)In the example mentioned before, Im sorry is a type of clarification request but there is also another one that is real used I dont understand.According to Lyster Ranta (1997, in Panova, 2002 583), metalinguistic feedback refers to comments or information related to the form of the students utterance without providing the correct answer, as4. S I accordT Oh, but thats in French (metalinguistic feedback)Lyster Ranta point out that elicitation technique is a corrective feedback that prompts the learner to correct (Panova, 2002 584) this is an example of a peer repairing5. T In a fast food restaurant, how much do you tip?S1 No money (Lexical error)T Whats the word? (Elicitation)S1 fivefour (needs repairing)T Whats the wordin a fast food restaurant? (Elicitation)S2 Nothing (repair)T Nothing, yeah.The sixth type of feedback is the explicit correction.6. S The day ending tomorrow (lexical error)T Yes. No, the day before tomorrow (explicit correction)In this type of feedback, the teacher provides explicit signals to the student that there is an error in the previous utterance.The uttermost(a) type of corrective feedback is repetition, which the teacher repeats the wrong part of the students announceion, usually with a change of intonation. For example7. S I am agree (lexical error)T I am agree? (Repetition)The research on teacher treatment of learner error, including studies by Allwright (1975), Chaudron (1977, 1986b, 1987), Fanselow (1977b), and Long (1977), shows that teachers do not treat all errors that occur. The findings also tell that teacher s have a wide variety of techniques available for the treatment of errors, but they do not typically make full use of the repertoire of behaviors from which they power choose in providing feedback (Allwright and Bailey, 1994 99-100).Knowing all these types of error correction techniques (named also as feedback) teachers are more self-confident on what they are doing, because they know that the type of feedback they give to their students is mentioned in the seven techniques pointed out before, and they make sure they are doing right.3.1.2.4 Momentum of the CorrectionThe dilemma of to correct or not to correct, has persistently sedulous the minds of language teachers. Concerning to correction, Lyster Ranta (1977 51) acknowledge that there is a certain dilemma in this regard if teachers do not correct errors, opportunities for students to make links between form and functions are reduced if teachers do correct errors, they risk interrupting the flow of communication.According to Lon gs (1977 279) opinion, once the teacher has decided that an error should be treated, the next decision that he/she has to make is when to treat the error. The teacher may deal with it immediately, or delay treatment somewhat (for instance, until the learner finishes with the message he/she is trying to convey), spot lull treating the error within the boundaries of the same lesson in which it occurred. The problem with immediate error treatment is that it often involves interrupting the learner in mid-sentence, it is a practice which can sure be disruptive and could eventually inhibit the learner willingness to speak in class at all.Allwright Bailey (1991 ibidem) assert that if we adopt the notion of Interlanguage in the news of second language learners errors, we realize that by treating errors, teachers try to help learners move ahead with their Interlanguage development. However, they believe mistimed error treatment may not be helpful and may even be catastrophic if it aims at structures which are beyond second language learners in terms of their Interlingua development. They refer to mistimed with forms at the right time in the course of the learners speech.While correcting errors, teachers can make corrections at the moment the error is made or at the end of the activity. Having the correction at the moment is advisable when students do not make many errors and this will help not only the students who made the error , but also to the whole class or those who are paying attention and having the correction at the end of the activities is advisable when students have many errors and run on them every(prenominal) five minutes, so that students do not feel like foolish in front of the whole class.The place of error correction has been controversial because teachers have to know the adequate moment to do the correction and how to do it in order to not inhibit students participation. Nunan and Lamb (1996, in Poppi, 2001 ), point out that it is important t o consider when the adequate moment to make a correction is. They say that it is part to correct errors at the end of the activity just by committal to writing on the board and explaining the reasons of the errors made since in that way, the teacher gives a better explanation of the error, but also focuses more on the error. On the other hand correcting at the moment is not advisable, because of the lack of time and also the teacher could demotivate the students.Alternately, Allwright Bailey (1991 ibidem) state that teachers may postpone the treatment for longer periods of time for two reasons a) teachers do not want to explain the error to the whole group. For instance, oral errors, particularly if they are shared by a group of learners, may form a starting point for a future lesson. Long (1977 290) observes that error treatment becomes less effective as the time lag between the performance and the treatment becomes longer.Deciding when and which errors to correct causes problem s to teachers, as teachers may think they are back up their students, but they are doing the contrary or vice-versa. Teachers must also take in consideration, that constantly interrupting students to correct them can be irritating. If teachers do not know when to correct, it is necessary to consider the nature of the activity that is be undertaken. For example if students are perform a drill in order to practice pronunciation or phrases, then they should be break outped immediately when they make the error, otherwise they will conserve repeating defective language on the other hand, in fluency, if there are frequent errors, the teacher can make a mental or written note to provide feedback after the activity, so students can feel comfortable and self-confident.Teachers do not have to correct all the time, they have to be conscious on what and when they are going to correct in order to promote students participation, otherwise if teachers make lots of corrections, students could be irritated (Norrish, 1990 280).Long (1977 292) points out that the psychology of research literature shows, that the feedback becomes less effective as the time between the performance of the skill and the feedback increases. What is more, Virgil Oller (1976 288) think that correcting errors at the moment is a bollocks up of time and instead of doing that, teachers should avoid error correction at the moment. So, correcting at the moment can certainly be troublemaking and could eventually inhibit the learners willingness to speak in class at all, or students could forget what they wanted to say. Contrary to this, correcting at the end of activities is better because teachers have already finished their activities and can explain in detail the reasons of the errors (Virgil Oller ibidem).In short, we may say that teachers can choose the moment to correct their students taking into account their necessities.3.1.2.5 Students AttitudeAttitudes are complex, hypothetical construction, which general rendering includes some notion of evaluation. Ajzen (1988 85) states that an attitude is a disposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to an object, person, intuition or event. In addition to this, Triandis (1971 289) writes that an attitude is a psychological tendency that is expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor. This evaluative aspect of attitude is its defining attribute, and sets it apart(predicate) from other affective variables.Attitude is an emotion that all people show when they have keep an eye ons of an attitude object i.e. a person, behavior or event. Attitudes come from judgments. Triandis (1971 ibidem) says that attitudes develop the ABC model (affect, behavioral change and cognition). The affective response is a physiological response that expresses an individuals preference for an entity. The behavioral intention or change is a verbal indication of the intention of an individual. And the cognitive resp onse refers to a cognitive evaluation of the entity to form an attitude.Heider (1958, in Triandis ibidem) points out that attitude is usually defined as a disposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively towards a certain thing (idea, object, person, and situation).The type of feedback language teachers provide for students reflects their view of language and their objectives. The attitude of students plays an important role in learning a second language. This attitude is developed by a variety of factors, among them feedback, which may have desirable or undesirable cognitive and affective results. Students characteristics have an impact both on the teacher who corrects the learners errors and on the learner who is corrected.The teachers treatment of error skill also be influenced consciously or unconsciously by the state of mood teachers are. The attitude of learners toward error correction, not only by teachers during focused activities but also by congenital speakers with whom they converse, is remarkably positive (Chenoweth, Chun and Luppescu, 1983 82). Cathcart Olsen (1976 41) found that ESL learners who hold positive attitude toward correction like to be corrected by their teachers and want to have more correction than they are usually provided with.Another important point about attitudes is that they are subject to change they are not set in concrete. This is good news for teachers in that poor attitude can be changed. But the good news is tempered by the fact that there are many variables associated with attitude change, such as the state of mood, the classroom environment, the students personality and so on.Probably, the most difficult aspect of the correction process is adapt corrections to individual students. Teachers who wish to provide effective correction must consider its effect on each individual student. The problem has two aspects affective and cognitive side. Truscott (1998 ) says that on the effective side, learners clearly differ in their reactions and attitudes to correction. For some, no adverse effect is likely unless corrections are delivered in a very aggressive or unfair manner. For others, there is a serious danger that correction will produce embarrassment, anger, inhibition, feeling of inferiority, and generally negative attitudes towards the class and possibly toward the language learning itself.Consequently, there are different reactions in students because all students are different positive and negative. In this way, in order to avoid harmful effects and to make correction effective, the teacher should see each student as unique and to ask how each student will respond to correction in many possible forms, varying the type of error correction and the frequency of the correction, the clarity of the correction and the most important the intensity of the correction.Nunan Lamb (1996, in Poppi, 2001 ) mention that attitudes and responses vary among students depending on the different ship ca nal that teachers treat their errors. For example,.teachers can correct students in a way that makes students feel comfortable and some students can have a positive attitude to the correction while others will react with a negative attitude by making gestures (like a grimace) and some others will just accept the correction and repeat it with a smile (Pinazo, 2001 )Moreover, Wajnryb (1992, in Poppi, 2001 ) makes the point that, if teachers attempted to correct every error that occurred in class, there would be little time to do anything else. Correcting at anytime many times creates a negative classroom atmosphere, discouraging learners from risk-taking and experimentation. So, when learners are corrected intensively by the teacher it could have negative consequences in their indigence. Students will think that if they continue verbalise, the teacher will continue correcting, and in order to avoid this reaction (the teachers one) they stop speaking.Pholsward (2001 ), in his investig ation at the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce at the Faculty of Humanities in the language department of English, about students reaction to the error treatment, concluded that most students were quite relaxed and satisfied as they helped each other in a groups attempt to identify errors. In Pholswards research, the teachers would suggest answers in steerage to students and if the students were still not responsive, the teachers would identify errors and edit them, followed by detailed explanations.In brief, Ellis (1994 490) affirms learners attitude towards error correction can also vary according to their characteristics, their cognitive and affective states and the nature of the treatment they receive. Apart from what was mentioned before, students reaction is complemented by non-verbal gestures, too.Students talk with gestures and their meanings are clear and specific for instance waving goodbye. Other types of gesture, the gestures that express worked up states, reflect the mood and feeling of people. Pinazo (2001 ) expresses that these gestures show anxiety or tension of the moment such as pain, triumph and happiness.The attitudes that will be taken in consideration in this research project are positive and negative, with its corresponding classification that were taken from the works of these authors Rebel Gnther (2002 49-51, 96-165), Louis Porcher (1989 77-82), Ana Muoz (2002 ), Olman Martnez (2004 ) and Pinazo (2001 )POSITIVE mental attitudeNEGATIVE ATTITUDEMove the head from up to down in a moderate formSmilesLaughsRepetition of the correctionLips movement by aphorism thank youSoft tone of voiceQuickly movement of the head in an affirmative formHinge or attentive look grinningSmirkSneerSnarlRotating the eyes upward (eye rolling)Rude tone of voiceFig. 3.1 Common attitudes on error correction3.1.3 Error Correction, Motivation and communicating in EnglishLanguage LearningMotivation is as much an effect as a cause of learning. Ausubel (in Budden , 2004 ). Motivation is related to error correction in English language learning because the manner teacher corrects, is the way in which students are going to react to teachers correction. Students main goal is to participate in communication with other people. This learning goal is possible if teachers can keep students motivation for learning during oral practice activities. Terese (2005) explains that one natural and non-treating way of encouraging students to give feedback is by using a number of strategies like clarification requests (What did you mean by?), requests for repetition (sorry, can you say that a cook?) and the use of oppugn looks. This means that motivation is the force which determines if learners initiate, or not on a task, also how much energy they dedicate to it and how long they continue in it. famous research carried out in the second half of the twentieth century by Gardner and Lambert (1999 in Harmer, 2001 205) suggested that students who felt more warmly about a language, who wanted to integrate into the culture of its speakers were more motivated (and learnt successfully) than speakers who were only learning language as a means to an end (e.g. getting a better job).Harmer (1999 ibidem) says that real motivation comes from within each individual. Teachers are not responsible of their students motivation they can only encourage students by using word and action, while teaching the foreign language. Motivation is the energy that catalyzes behavior. In psychology, motivation refers to the initiation, direction, intensity and persistence of behavior (Budden, 2004 ) Motivation is a temporal and dynamic state that should not be confused with personality or emotion.It is sometimes assumed by language teachers that if students make any kind of error when talking to a native speaker they are learning, but learners frequent attitude to this is to maintain a terrified silence upon meeting a native speaker (Norrish, 1990 ibidem). This is becau se students think that errors dismiss them with the person they are talking to.On the other hand, certain errors may conduct to a breakdown in communication, while others to social reactions. For instance, one of the breakdowns in communication is inhibition (Norrish, 1990 ibidem). Students get inhibited because they fear making errors when communicating and being ridiculous in front of the teacher or native speakers. But also when staying in the classroom or talking with other students, they feel embarrassed when making errors, because they are afraid of being seen as dumb.Nunan and Lamb (1996, in Poppi 2001), mention an investigation on teacher behavior and student responses on occasion of which the following question was established Do students attitude about the types of error treatment used by their teachers in the classroom during oral classroom tasks influence their motivation? They concluded that students do hold attitudes about different ways that teachers treat their erro rs, and also learners would like the teacher to improve raising their awareness by allowing opportunities to self-correct and to analyze the errors the learners would like to be provided in a positive way with information and clarification, rather than a) being exposed by non-verbal signs, b) providing feedback without explanations, c) asking the students to repeat the sentence and d) activating the right answer on the part of the student. Additionally, students would like to attain up the belief that errors are to be considered as signs of progress of the learning process, rather than evidence of failure.Correcting errors disturbs the ongoing communication process (Truscott, 1998 ) but it is important to express that errors do not necessarily guide to a breakdown of communication, because sometimes correcting errors in students encourage them to continue participating in order to improve their speaking skill.In short, along this theoretical framework, I have mentioned all topics r elated to error correction that will be necessary to carry out this research project. For instance, I have mentioned that errors are considered to be incorrect, wrong or should not be done. In addition to this, I have described the different types of errors like error, mistake, lapse or slip as errors, this way was easy to identify what I was referring to in the investigation.I have talked about the sources of errors but also, and something important is that, I have mentioned error correction and the types of error correction that teachers usually use when correcting students. When correcting errors, I said that we need to take into account who will treat errors and when to treat errors.CONCLUSIONBeing a teacher of a foreign language implies having certain skills, whether by nature, acquired outside teaching, or arising from university studies in education. They may also gain this knowledge with books concerning issues of education or by taking professional courses on the subject.In this case, the research presented, is primarily based on improving teaching skills of those teachers who didnt study a bachelors degree in English Teaching, by providing the teaching of various courses. Improving in various teachers fields was primarily important. But, understanding two main points that serve as departure is the start point what does teaching mean? And what does being a teacher imply?Teachers must understand that a good class depends on many factors although the material presented to teach the class is important, the teacher should take into account that leadership and management at the beginning, during and at the end of the class is essential, for the students to learn what is taught. It is of vital importance to know the likes and preferences of the students who we give classes to this will serve as a key piece to encourage them, especially those who learning a foreign language are a rejection.Teachers should practice self-reflection on how to teach a foreign la nguage, and have feedback from other teachers this is of great help in order to implement different kinds of methodologies in the classroom, especially in error correction during the communication of the students to the teachers and among themselves.Doing the research on these topics, I noticed and reflected on the magnitude of being a teacher I understood that teaching is a great responsibility, because the way of teaching depends on the likes and disposition of the students to the learning of English language, due to the motivation transmitted by the teacher. This also includes the methodology used by the teacher to teach a class, as it influences how well students understand the topic.Another important point is the attitude that teachers have in front of groups when teaching. It must be enthusiastic and positive, factors to include in the education of a class presentation.Of all these factors that I explained above, I conclude that it is very significant to continue preparing our selves and practice teaching training, in order to perk up foreign language education. Improving internally and outwardly all the factors in teachers such as learning new teaching methodologies, be at the forefront of materials that can be used with the group, making use of different types of feedback from teachers, using different tools and techniques in teaching as well as self-reflection are some of the factors explained in this research.This paper concludes that teachers that do not have a bachelors degree in English Teaching should always look for continuous improvement in different ways in all areas, in all levels of language education towards the students. Taking into account all the factors set above, this research was done, in order to improve the level of education qualitatively, pedagogically and psychological practicability in the teachers practice of English teaching at the Liceo Jos Vasconcelos, in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas.