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39EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUES OF CORRECTING ERROR
© Абдыхалыкова А.М.* *, Хасенова Г.А.*
Евразийский национальный университет имени Л.Н. Гумилева, Республика Казахстан, г. Астана
Most English teachers in Kazakhstan and in other countries have been familiar with the notion of correcting errors. Yet, most of them have not found more effective techniques of correcting errors. This paper, therefore, would like to show effective techniques of self-correction, peer-correction and teacher-correction. Also, in paper is considered correcting of grammatical, lexical errors. Accordingly, teachers can choose one of them to reach the students' speech without errors.
Key words: errors, methods, self-correction, peer-correction, English as a foreign language (EFL), teacher-correction, mistakes, non-verbal ways.
Most English teachers in Kazakhstan and in other countries have been familiar with the notion of correcting errors. Yet, most of them have not found more effective techniques of correcting errors. Generally, many teachers use that techniques which were used by their own teachers and it becomes like a habit. Although, nowadays we can use a lot of techniques to correct our students, but the question about more effective techniques still remains.
As we know, the teacher is not the only person in the class capable of correcting the errors. The errors can also be self-corrected, or could be just as well treated by another student, by a group of students, or the whole class. There is also the possibility of letting the students do some research to find out the correct form or even ask someone outside the classroom.
Teachers are no longer the only source of knowledge as they tended to be considered in the Grammar Translation method. We have to be clear that students can correct themselves and correct others. A hierarchy of people who should make corrects will go as follows:
1. The student who made the mistake (self-correction);
2. The classmate who is capable of correcting the mistakes (peer-correction).
3. The teacher (teacher correction).
Self-correction is understood as the process in which erroneous statements are corrected by the person who made them. Self-correction reduces teacher talk and might reduce the fear factor that excessive correction can cause students. Self-correction is also beneficial due to the fact that when students correct their own mistakes, they get a feeling of being self-sufficient in the use of the target
* Доцент кафедры «Теория и практика иностранных языков», к.п.н.
* Студент кафедры «Иностранные языки: два языка».
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language. A positive aspect of self-correction is that we are telling our student that we trust them, that they have the capacity to correct their own mistakes and that self-correction is easier to remember because someone has put something right in his or her own head [8].
Below we show some examples which we found effective. The first one is called playing dumb. This is by far the easiest way to get a student to self-correct. The technique goes something like this.
Say a student incorrectly uses a verb in the past tense and says, “Yesterday I leaved the school at 5 pm”. All you need to do is say, “Sorry?” or “What was that?” or “Come again?” Making a face that expresses your confusion is a great help! The student will be forced to repeat what he/she said and in most cases they correct their mistake the second time around. If the student fails to notice the problem, try further encouragement: You said you did what at 5pm? You ... what?
The second one is called write it down. Using this method teacher should write the sentence down on the blackboard. She can go about this in two ways:
- Write the sentence down as it was said by the student and ask him / her to find the mistake. For example: “Yesterday I leaved the school at 5 pm”.
- Write the sentence down and leave a blank where the mistake was made.
Ask the student to fill in the blank correctly. For example: “Yesterday I________the school at 5 pm”.
We know that when the students write essay or another written assignment they want to write it in the more correct way as it possible. Consequently we recommend them to use this website for reach self-correction http://www.gingersoft-ware.com/en/grammarcheck#.VF9kDfmsXX9 [4].
The Ginger Grammar Checker is the popular website which helps you write better English and efficiently corrects texts. Based on the context of complete sentences, Ginger Grammar Checker uses patent-pending technology to correct grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes and misused words, with unmatched accuracy. Ginger's grammar check software improves your text just like a human reviewer would [4].
Furthermore using this website is free and very comfortable. At first you should copy your text or write it in the first cell. Then just click the “Ginger it”, after some seconds the program give you right form of your text.
The other option for teachers transferring correction onto someone else is peer correction. This usually comes into play when students are unable to selfcorrect. Learners can help each other especially with accuracy and form. With peer correction, however, it is important to go back to the learner who first made the error to make sure s / he has understood what was wrong at first place. Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure that it is not the same few students who do correction always: “The idea of peer correction is to encourage cooperation, not to put one or two students in the traditional place of the teacher”. If these conditions are fulfilled, then peer correction can be beneficial, too [1].
История, теория и методика преподавания искусств и гуманитарных наук
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Pic. 1
We want to give some effective techniques of peer correction. The next example was taken from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/knowledge-database/ peer-correction [6].
Using a computer room, each learner quickly writes a short text on someone who has inspired them. They then move to the next terminal and correct the next learner's text. This rotation continues until they come back to their work.
In the classroom a peer correction is a useful technique as learners can feel less intimidated being helped by others in the class. However, some learners are highly resistant to being corrected by someone other than the teacher [6].
The second technique which allows to correct the students’ errors by peer-correction asking the students like this: “does anyone else have a thought?” Do not correct student, but immediately ask if anyone else has a different answer. Keep asking until someone gives the right response. Positively respond to the correct answer once find it and stop asking for more answers. The final answer will sit in their heads as the best and the most correct [2].
Teacher correction is used when neither the students himself nor other students are able to correct the mistake. But the teacher does not have to give the correction straight away. Teacher can just help students to find the mistake or the right answers [7].
If self-correction and peer-correction fail at first, the teacher should help students correct their own mistakes. This does not mean that the teacher is going to give the correct form to the students right away. What the teacher can do is to help the students focus their attention on the particular part of the language that is faulty. If the instructor gives the students the correct form, the information that is given to the students is not as meaningful to them as the information the students could have obtained if they had proved their hypotheses themselves [8].
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Teachers should know that if students are always making new mistakes it’s okay. New mistakes are usually a sign that they are exploring new uses of language or experimenting with new vocabulary but if they are always repeating the same mistakes it’s not such a good sign! Therefore we recommend the next effective technique of teacher-correction.
Students should note their errors in their notebooks to avoid repeating the same mistakes time and time again. One way of doing it is to divide a page into three columns:
Table 1
Mistake Correction Note
It depends of the weather It depends on the weather Revise prepositions
I've lived in Barcelona since six years I've lived in Barcelona for six years Since - for points in time, for - for periods of time
The woman which works here is from Japan. The woman who works here is from Japan. Which-for inanimate, who-for animated
I didn’t meet nobody. I didn’t meet anybody. We can’t use nobody in negative sentences
Sometimes it’s a good idea to have little tests based on the classic mistakes students make in class. It encourages students to look over their notes and try to learn from them [5].
Accordingly we offer the three best non-verbal ways to do error correction:
- Use a grammar flag. Once we have our students actively engaged in some drilling exercises, use a little red flag to “flag” their mistakes. The flag goes up if they make a mistake and students instantly know they should go back and say it again. We may also use the flag in others types of activities, or whenever you wish to work on accuracy.
- Use facial expressions. Students are sometimes self-conscious enough without having to endure constant corrections. So, how can we effectively correct them and not stomp on their confidence in the process? When a student makes a mistake, like saying a verb in the past tense incorrectly, use an exaggerated facial expression to signal the mistake. Give them an open-mouthed, wide-eyed stare. Or arch an eyebrow. The more “theatrical” the facial expression is, the funnier it'll be. We’ll be effectively signaling that a mistake has been made, but students won’t take it so seriously.
- Use visual reminders. Very often students forget the final “-s” in the simple present, third person singular. We may have a big “S” stuck on a wall that we can point to on such occasions, or point to something that will trigger the right response, like the picture of an S-shaped snake. Visual reminders are also great for vocabulary-related mistakes. A student may say “childs” instead of “children”. You point to a picture of a group of children to indicate that something is wrong; the student has to figure out he or she used the wrong plural [3].
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References:
1. Gabriela Tomkova, Linda Nepivodova. (2013). Error Correction in Spoken Practice. Masaryk University. Pp 32-35, 83-87.
2. 9 Ways to Correct Students Without Correcting Them. Retrieved from http://busyteacher.org/18657-correct-students-without-correcting-9-ways.html.
3. 5 Non-Verbal Ways to Do Error Correction. Retrieved from http://busy-teacher.org/3964-5-non-verbal-ways-to-do-error-correction.html.
4. The Ginger Grammar Checker. Retrieved from http://www.gingersoft-ware. com/grammarcheck#.VG2nJfmsXX8.
5. Error Correction. Retrieved from http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/lan-guage-assistant/teaching-tips/error-correction.html.
6. Peer correction. Retrieved from https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/know-ledge-database/peer-correction.
7. Ivana Pavlu, Nadezhda Vojtkova. (2007). Techniques of Mistake Correction. Masaryk University. Pp 18-19.
8. Jimmy Ramirez. (2007). How Should EFL Students Be Corrected? Costa Rican National University. Pp 110-124.
ДИФФУЗИЯ ВИЗУАЛЬНОГО И ВЕРБАЛЬНОГО В АРТ-ПРОЕКТАХ КОНЦЕПТУАЛИСТОВ
© Булычева Е.И.*
Нижегородская государственная консерватория им. М.И. Глинки, г. Нижний Новгород
Статья посвящена проблеме взаимодействия вербального и визуального в творческих проектах представителей московской концептуальной школы. В ней рассматриваются особенности функционирования слова в контексте визуальности, анализируются некоторые приемы визуализации слова в новой «среде обитания».
Ключевые слова: концептуализм, визуальное пространство, вербализация, философская рефлексия, комментарий, неологизмы.
Сферы, в которых можно наблюдать и анализировать процессы диффузии в художественной культуре ХХ века, чрезвычайно разнообразны. Одной из показательных, на наш взгляд, стала сфера освоения слова в иной для него «среде обитания» - в арт-проектах московских художников-концептуали-стов. Формирование этой новой среды функционирования слова во многом было обусловлено ситуацией андеграунда, в которой развивалось искусство
Доцент кафедры Философии и эстетики, кандидат философских наук.
