TEFL Elebaires: To Correct or Not To Correct?

Making mistakes in learning  a new language is a normal part of the learning process. Students need to be corrected to learn but correcting too much could lead to unwillingness to try the new language. It´s a fine line between the two.

In correction, our goal as TEFL teachers is to first give the student the opportunity to self correct, then have the others in the class help to correct and as a last resort teacher correction. Here are some tips to correcting in a non-threatening way to help our students’ progress without making them feel inhibited.

1. Model the correct form at the time of the mistake in a gentle casual way.
2. Repeat the mistake with a questioning look and a rising tone.
3. Ask a concept checking question to elicit the correct answer.
4. Gesture combined with facial expressions.
5. Write problem sentences or grammar on the board and correct as a class.
6. Repeat the sentence up to error and the prompt them.