7 metodika indd

Dealing with errors in spoken English

Many teachers nowadays find it difficult to decide whether they should or should not correct every error their pupils make. In the traditional classroom the emphasis is usually on accuracy and all mistakes are corrected immediately. The problem with this is that a lot of pupils will be reluctant to speak for fear of making mistakes and being corrected.

In the learner-centred classroom, where pupils are being encouraged to use English in real communication, fluency is just as important as accuracy. We are not suggesting that correction should be abandoned, but that it can be postponed until after the communication activities in Teens’ English. If you do this, then you will not be constantly interrupting your pupils. Of course you will need to remember the mistakes your pupils make so we suggest you note them down as you walk around the classroom. At the end of the activity you can point out some of the common or more important mistakes you noted.