Unit 11 The role of error

It's always helpful to learn from your mistakes because then your mistakes seem worthwhile. - Garry Marshall

An important fact is that making mistakes plays an important and useful part in language learning because it helps students to experiment with language and measure their success in communicating. As the matter of fact, mistakes are categorised into errors and slips. Errors occur when learners try to say something is beyond their level. Slips are the result of tiredness, worry or other emotions. In addition, there are two reasons of why learners make mistakes. First, the learner’s first language or mother tongue/ L1 on the L2. This is called interference. Learners might use sound patters, lexis or grammatical structures from their own language in English. Second, they are unconsciously working out, organizing and experimenting. But, this process is not completed yet, this is called developmental error. When they learn they often make overgeneralization which is common but when they realize they start using the language and increasing accuracy. In addition, sometimes error not disappear instead they get fossilised. Fossilisation often occurs when learners are unmotivated. Regarding this, I could use some strategies with beginners e.g. I need to identify what kind of mistakes the learner is making, slip or an error and try to correct them appropriately. I could use prompting. If my students are speaking and they make mistakes I would ignore them because I want them to develop confidence. Finally, it’s necessary to know how and when to correct them. As a conclusion, the teacher has to understand that this is an important part of the learning process, and try to find ways to help them to overcome.

 

Look here for more information: 

• The Art of Making Mistakes - How and why mistakes help you to learn languages (Guest post by Luca) - Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips Fluentin3months.com,. (2014). The Art of Making Mistakes - How and why mistakes help you to learn languages (Guest post by Luca) - Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.fluentin3months.com/make-mistakes/

• Teaching Students to Embrace Mistakes Edutopia,. (2014). Teaching Students to Embrace Mistakes. Retrieved 27 November 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-students-to-embrace-mistakes-hunter-maats-katie-obrien