Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Student Correction During Class_How and When?

Some teachers say that correction in class may have a discouraging effect one students. If teachers correct the student constantly while they are talking, they are less likely to participate in class. On the other hand, others may say that if teachers don't correct their students, they would adapt to their incorrect English and will make same mistakes over and over again.

In my opinion, as a learner, correction is definitely necessary. If a student wants to solely practice their oral presentation of English, there is no need for them to come to class. They can practice by themselves, with friends or chat on internet in the language they wish to practice. Though possible, this may be impractical as they are still in the learning stage. Learning a langauge takes a long time. If there isn't anyone who corrects their oral presentation of English, teachers included , there is no one to learn from.

The question is what is the best way to correct a student's oral presentation of English? In the aforementioned paragraph, if a pupil is constantly corrected by their teachers while they are struggling to speak English, that would put the pupil in frustration.
As a teacher, they have to encourage their pupil to study, as well as providing correction in order to help them to reduce mistakes.

In my opinion, the best way to correct their speaking is using activities. Correcting every student while they are speaking English is impossible since a teacher can't possibly manage every student simultaneously. Therefore, while their students are participating in an activity, the teacher can list the common mistakes or mistakes that are related to the class material.

In addition, prior to finishing class, the teacher can reinforce the material that he/she has taught or by providing corrections to the mistakes that were taken during their participation in class activities/exercises.
If the same method of teaching is used throughout each class, the students will notice it and they will adapt to such changes.

Finally and most importantly, teachers should ensure that the students know about the fact that making mistakes is useful and it will help them grow. Furthermore, teachers need to create a relaxing environment, as if it is a natural thing to make mistakes, and to let their pupils know that making mistakes and providing contribution is better than providing nothing at all.

It is simple to say all these things; however actions speak louder than words. Prior to starting class, a teacher can make their students say the following.

"Repeat after me, the more mistakes you make in class, the better speaker you will become."

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