Tkt Unit 11_errors

TKT Unit 11 The Role of Error By Porntip Bodeepongse

Mistakes are divided into: Errors happen when learners try to say something that is beyond their current level of language processing.  Usually learners cannot correct errors themselves because they don’t understand what is wrong. 

The other type of mistakes: 

Slips are the result of tiredness, worry or other temporary emotions or circumstances.

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Slips can be corrected by learners once they realise they have made them, maybe with little prompting from the teacher or another learner.

Key concepts We need to think hard about whether, when and how to correct learners.  In fluency activities it is better not to pay attention to learners’ errors—ignore them—so that the learners have an opportunity to develop their confidence and fluency, and to experiment with language. 

First reason why L2 learners make mistakes 

Interference or transfer: influence

from learners’ first language (L1) or their mother tongue  Learners may use sound patterns, lexis or grammatical structures from their own language in English.

Second reason why L2 learners make mistakes Developmental error: Learners are unconsciously working out and organising language but this process is not yet complete.  Overgeneralisation = when learners wrongly apply a rule for one item of the language to another item 

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Errors are part of learners’ interlanguage (the learners’ own version of the 2nd language which they speak as they learn).

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Interlanguage is not fixed because learners unconsciously process, i.e. analyse and reorganise it.

More key concepts 

Errors which prevent communication are more important than those which do not.

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Different learners may need to be corrected or not depending on their stages of learning, learning styles and level of confidence.

Ways of helping learners To expose them to lots of language that is just beyond their level, through reading and listening  To give them opportunities to focus on the form of language  To give them time to use language to communicate and interact and see if they can do so successfully 

Last but not least;-) 

Errors are useful not only to learners but also to the teacher. They can help the teacher see how well learners have learnt and what kind of help they may need.