Oral Error Treatment in the Second Language Classroom

Term Paper , 2007 , 14 Pages , Grade: 1,3

Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies

“Should learner errors be corrected? If so, when should learner errors be corrected? Which learner errors should be corrected? Who should correct learner errors? And how should learner errors be corrected?” (Hendrickson 1978, p. 389). This series of questions, raised by Hendrickson, frame the diverse decisions a teacher has to make within only few seconds in his/her daily teaching according to a learner’s error.
To explore special parts of this extensive topic more precisely and to find out what role teacher and learner play exactly in the treatment of oral errors should be the aim of the following investigation.
First of all the theoretical concept of error and correction itself will be dealt with to make clear from which perspective the subject of oral error treatment in the L2 classroom will be considered. Then the paper will have a practical orientation to the L2 classroom: in this connection the focus will lie on answering one of the questions raised above namely “Should learner errors be corrected?”. With reference to this we try to find out on which factors the decision of correcting/not correcting students’ errors depends. Answering the question how learners’ errors should be corrected represents such a complex issue that it would be impossible to get a complete look at it in this research. Therefore recasts and elicitations, as special kinds of corrective feedback used in L2 classrooms, are considered in detail to get a deeper impact of possible ways students’ errors are treated in oral work. Simultaneously it should be found out if recasts/elicitations are effective examples of oral error treatment and whether there are differences in terms of the effectiveness according to the type of error that is made.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Definitions
  • Error vs. Mistake
  • Correction
• Reaction to Learners' Oral Errors
  • Should Learner Errors Be Corrected?
    • The Focus of the Lesson
    • Further Influencing Factors
    • Discussion: Chances and Risks of Correcting/not Correcting Errors
  • Recast and Elicitation - Two Types of Corrective Feedback
    • Recast
    • Elicitation
    • Discussion: Two Effective Examples of Oral Error Treatment?
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

The primary objective of this research is to investigate the role of teachers and learners in the treatment of oral errors in the second language classroom. The study aims to explore the theoretical concept of error and correction, analyze the factors influencing the decision to correct or not correct student errors, and examine the effectiveness of specific types of corrective feedback, namely recasts and elicitations.

• The definition and significance of errors and mistakes in second language learning
• The role of corrective feedback in promoting language acquisition
• Factors influencing the decision to correct or not correct student errors
• The effectiveness of different types of corrective feedback, such as recasts and elicitations
• The impact of error correction on learner motivation and self-confidence

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: The introduction presents the central question of error correction in the second language classroom and outlines the research's objectives. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the role of teachers and learners in the treatment of oral errors.
• Definitions: This chapter explores the definitions of "error" and "correction" in the context of second language learning. It discusses the distinction between errors and mistakes and the importance of distinguishing between these concepts in the classroom.
• Reaction to Learners' Oral Errors: This chapter delves into the complex issue of whether and how to correct learner errors. It examines the arguments for and against correction and explores the factors that influence teachers' decisions regarding error treatment, including the focus of the lesson, learner characteristics, and the nature of the error.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This research focuses on key concepts related to oral error treatment in the second language classroom. These include: error correction, corrective feedback, recasts, elicitations, learner errors, language acquisition, second language learning, teacher role, learner role, and classroom dynamics.

• College: University of Cologne
• Grade: 1,3
• Author: Steffi Joetze (Author)
• Publication Year: 2007
• Pages: 14
• Catalog Number: V174060
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640944545
• ISBN (Book): 9783640944699
• Language: English
• Tags: Feedback, Corrective Feedback, Elicitation, Recast, Foreign Language