Mistakes2 bw

“A person who never made a mistake
never tried anything new.” Albert Einstein
Slips, Errors and Attempts
“I never make stupid mistakes. Only very, very clever
ones.” John Peel
“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn

nothing.” John Powell
IX Jornades de Llengües
Estrangeres a Tarragona
November 2011

Yolanda Scott-Tennent
yscottt@xtec.cat
Making mistakes is a part of learning (steps), just
as correcting is part of teaching.
Errors, attempts and slips/IX 1 Errors, attempts and slips/IX 2
Jornades LLE Tarragona/Y.Scott- Jornades LLE Tarragona/Y.Scott-
Tennent/yscottt@xtec.cat Tennent/yscottt@xtec.cat

Main Causes Slips
• Homophones and homographs: He had put it their before leaving.
• L1 influence/interference ( in grammar, lexis , but also
in pronunciation e.g. schwa sound before ‘s) • Omission
My mother was ___ dentist and she wanted me to be __: , too.

- unknowingly ( false friends, expressions,etc. • Confusing “this” for “that” or “these” for “those”

e.g. I wet myself [after spilling a glass of liquid) • Inventing short words e.g. Magnific

• Non –correspondondence between singular and plural
- deliberately ( because don’t know how but want to e.g. She knows an interesting sto
John finished school a year ago and now live__ in New York
get message across) It have complex rules

• Pluralising adjective
They are excellents records

• Think they know rule, but not well enough > • Word order (in short , simple sentences
Arrived the police The teacher thinks that
inappropriately applied A life very much controlled
a student could self-
• Wrongly acquired prepositions/conjunctions and even structures
e.g. –ed on irregular past of verbs Arrive to instead of … in/at

or make up a rule
That film was better that Titanic
but it was the same that we had
correct these mistakes.
I think he’s more strong than his friend.

e.g.Your room is more tidier than mine. They could probably be easily corrected if pointed out.
( careless and easily solved)

• Lack of attention/interest, tired, distracted, etc.

Diagnosis for slips Errors
• Largely unavoidable • Sts couldn't correct these even if pointed out.

• Vary from student to student, course to course.
• Generally don’t matter much.
Although the people are very nice, but I don't like it here.
That was the first English film which I have understood it.
It is fortunate the fact that she loves you.

• T generally
• To avoid excessive correction and stunting recognises what sts Student can’t self-correct a
wanted to produce mistake, but the teacher
students’ production, leave unheeded ? + knows whether are/should
be able to use correct knows the class is/should be
form. familiar with the correct form.

Errors, attempts and slips/IX Jornades
LE Tarragona/November11/Y.Scott-
Tennent 1

Diagnosis for errors Attempts
• Generally require more remedial • Student tries but no real idea how to structure X
work.
correctly ( at that point in their learning process).
• Most common causes
> L1
I hope I would go my grandmother's house next
> misunderstanding/incorrect
acquisition of a semantic or
summer.
syntactic rule Life is every time more expensive
> overgeneralization and How more I read, less I understand.
indiscriminate application.
I want that you help me with this
• Sts familiar with form but need
teacher for exact correct form. • Sometimes, comprehensible, although incorrect.
Sometimes, lost.
Make sure exact form student
wanted to use, otherwise may be This, no, really, for always my time, and then I happy.
over-correcting.
Teacher knows students not yet learned language needed,
Errors, attempts and slips/IX 7
or what student means/ structure he/she is trying to use is 8
Errors, attempts and slips/IX
Jornades LLE Tarragona/Y.Scott-
Tennent/yscottt@xtec.cat
unclear. Jornades LLE Tarragona/Y.Scott-

Diagnosis for attempts A word about these categories
• Constantly changing > student progresses
• Welcome - student is producing and creating in TL ( engaged ?)
Hopefully :
• Could avoided by Attempt > mistake > slip
making students aware of limitations
encouraging construction on what know
avoiding plunge into unconsolidated/unknown structures just • Know why > easier to try to solve.
to communicate.
balance between desire to express oneself, experiment and
communicate vs correctness/appropriateness.

• Require guidance to avoid becoming errors, and even worse, • If many . priority or stages
fossilized ones.
“
• to point out consistent errors memorably > translation
e.g. agree> estar estar de acuerdo Teaching exists to serve learning. After all, we can learn without teachers,
Errors, attempts and slips/IX 9 but we cannot teach without learners.”and slips/IX
Errors, attempts 10

Chain and Choice Previously, we have to decide
• Whether
the “effects of the red pen “
Chain problems ( word order, missing
• Who
or double subjects or objects)
• When On the spot or delayed correction ?
Or
Type of student(multiple intelligence)/situation/priority, etc.
Choice problems : wrong word, word/verb form,
tense, etc. session : fluency/accuracy activity
Misuse of dictionary • What
The use of false friends
Invented words (e.g. “to breakfast”) Not all easy to correct
Fossilized errors [ translation to avoid pitfalls and erroneous acquisition]
Confusion in translating ( e.g. a scientific instead of a scientist”)
Non –correspondence (interference of L1) • How

Confucius, “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”.

Tennent 2

• Teacher/expert correction
There are many types of correction Code : correction key; fingers, signa language

and techniques Repeat
• sentence up to mistake
• Self- correction • sentence including mistake
• echo without correcting the mistake ( rising intonation ?)
Learner autonomy, lose Ask for repetition or Question : “go? In the past?” / “past?”
fear of ridicule, etc. Ask a question to expose mistake
• Peer correction Provide options or Prompt ( dinner with MMMM wife)
(Advantages: cooperative, etc.
Over-react
Dis- good model ? Accept criticism
from peer ? Always same know- it- all?) Lack of comprehension

• Class activity correction :
Chain correction : other students try to correct
Pair work, auctions, kynaesthetic
Highlight ( whiteboard, beamer,etc.)
activity,etc.
Delayed action correction – reaction time

Others So, what can we do ?
• Phonemic chart [ pronunciation ] • Aspects considered before
• Hand signals [ intonation;tenses] • Type of mistake > cause.
• Avoid insufficient correction - usually result of not fixing
• Symbols ( timeline) root of the problem> automatic oral/ written correction
• Visual aids gives students little opportunity to understand mistake ,
cause and put it right.
• Correction key [written work] • Correction not punishment or ridicule. Teacher helping ,
• Correction grid [oral work] not chastising .
• Sts should not be afraid of making mistakes > learning
• Published materials : online materials, steps > may lead to self-correction > more observant
Grammar books class assistance,> learner autonomy.


Taking action •

•
Analogies between words and structures to recycle acquired knowledge

General advice > tackling texts and exams or grammar-related points.
• Foresee problem areas • CHECK structures sufficiently assimilated to use freely later on.
by areas - to be + age > Create their own examples, after presentation stage / other stages.
to be + adjectives/adverbs (e.g. to be right and not to have reason)
there is/there are + quantifiers
“se” in passive structures =/ reciprocal pronoun
• Combine oral and written checking > oral production easy to make slips; written
work shows up mistakes more genuinely. However , written work allows ample
“que” - as the subject/object time for re-editing. Combine both.
in comparatives
after “different/same/similar”
as a relative pronoun ( when can it be omitted ?) • Recycle forms periodically , do just forge ahead with programme.
intention ( so that,..)
in expressions (think so) • Insist/ check frequently (better "waste" time now than go back constantly later)

• DOn’t ask students to do things not capable of doing yet. • Acquired mistakes> work specifically on particular points, emphasize use or
form of particular structures, recycle constantly and employ correction tactics
• Develop the habit of self-correction as from very early levels. suggested.
[ adults or late teenagers> point out the cause of the mistake
• Provide memnonic devices. younger students > done with care- insisting on incorrect form too often may
make students remember it instead of the correct version.
REMEDIAL work is the most difficult and tiresome
• Supply topical examples :humour ? (more memorable)
• Type /reason for mistake not always clear or depend > apply different
• Give examples rather than rules approaches

Tennent 3

Subject/verb agreement Omission
I have had two operation__
The thieves stole eighteen millions. • Gap/cloze exercises
[adjective/noun agreement) ( with/without word provided )
e.g. subject/object
He took off his glasses and put it on. agreement revision) • Object: Yes, I like …. very much. • Questions > answers which
[pronoun/object or subject agreement] show problem.
(box with root options)
• Preposition : All ….. our employees
We think he have a lot of money. have four weeks holiday.
He don’t care about me any more. • Find mistakes in
Many people is visiting Barcelona these days. Hot Potatoes : Multiple choice
• Impersonal “it” [subject/object]: sentences/texts (individually/
One thousand dollars are a large sum of money Short Answers pairs/class[teams])
Jumbled sentences
.....Is important to talk to the teacher
Everybody have problems in this country. ; Is ......true that you are married?;
Crossword
Is .......raining again ?
[subject/verb form agreement ] Matching • Choose correct option
Cloze test (Gap fill)
• Articles : I don't have ...... car, but I between two/ more sentences
The manager and the secretary was not in
yesterday. J Clic : Puzzles have ......apartment ; He is ……. that say same.
[two subjects or objects] Matching
manager at Shell Exxon.
Crosswords
The furniture are expensive. [uncountable Word search grids • Auxiliaries : Robert loves Anna
nouns] Identification and more than Fred .........
Exploring activities
Here are the two boy’s books. Write the answer • Pronoun : The man ……. knows you
[possessive/genitive forms] Text from school is here.

Unnecessary inclusion Wrong choice
Due to grammatical criteria • Multiple choice options ( tailored to
• Verb Forms : What must you to do? • Spot extra word class) HOT POT)
• Double negatives: I'm not speaking to
• Articles: The Military service is not ( again, nobody in this class. • Provide the correct option (HOT POT-
Cloze or HTML box options)
a very good idea; My favorite sport
is the football ; It's a nice weather
individual/pairs/class) • Pronouns : An airplane is a machine who
flies ; I went out to meet a friend of me • Plural nouns and irregular verbs
today.
http://a4esl.org/q/h/vf004-bp.html
• Modifiers : This apartment is too • Choose correct option • Non-correspondence of possessive
adjectives/pronouns with subject/object : He
from
English Grammar Quizzes (Different
much expensive. (two possibilities) gave her wife a present for hers birthday. levels ) http://a4esl.org/a/g.html
Vocabulary Quizzes (Different levels)
• Pronouns : Please go and see who • Collocation ( prepositions) Sheila is capable http://a4esl.org/a/v.html
to cooking our supper.; What's the longest
he is knocking at the door.; The
food we eat every day at home it is
• Reconstruct sentence river of the world
[Useful for several types of mistakes]
very good; Everything what he said cards ( but more than
• Vocabulary ( operator/surgeon; Can you
was true. needed !) borrow me the car? ; make/do; tell/say; Is •
Word Bingo
there any place for me in your car? ) •
Word games and puzzles
Prepositions: My sister Lydia is •
Mistake dictations
going to marry with a doctor.; I'm Lexical criteria (false friends) sympathetic •
Spot the mistake
tired; I'm going to home right now.. or nuances •
Translation
Conocer/conèixer: meet/know/get to know •
Grammar Games e.g. Rinvolucri’s
Deixar dejar : go out/leave/let/allow/lend some/a few /any, false friends, irregular
Comparatives: Istambul is more Trobar/encontrar: find/meet/run into/come across past path, grammar tennis
cheaper than Paris. Errors, attempts and slips/IX 21 Errors, attempts and slips/IX 22
Jornades LLE Tarragona/Y.Scott- Others: Homophones : They’re/their/there are; Tarragona/Y.Scott-
Jornades LLE
Tennent/yscottt@xtec.cat two/to/too Tennent/yscottt@xtec.cat

• Verb tense or form (didn’t talked, If I would have
• Hot Potatoes M/C –
known about the party, I would have gone to it, I
like sing; Where are you come from ?; I get it for
you right away ; When I will be in Madrid, I'm
time clauses Word Order
going to visit the Prado Museum.; Had you a car
when you lived in California?
• Listening correction • Indirect questions and Non-question
• Wrong grammatical form He went to the bank for Finding expressions : I wonder if is he coming or not. • Jumbled sentences.
getting/for to get some money; Martha is yet at I do not understand what is he talking about.;
home. podcasts/listening How interesting is this!;
comprehension
• Irregular forms: He taked the wrong road. She exercises to practise • Misplacement of subject or object: I gave to
Patricia the book; Can you explain me this
Hot Potatoes Jmix
works very hardly
the structure ( e.g. ELT English structure?; Having not finished her
housework, she could not go out with her
• Adjectives/comparative forms: Tom is really Podcast> Basic friends.
interesting in politics, I’m the only son in the Conversations> Past Standard
family. I have not brothers. ; Our company • Short answers: I'm tired. So I am.; I don't have a
charges less that others.; [Sign at the checkout tenses key to open the door. Neither I do. Drag and drop
of a supermarket]: “Ten items or less”. Alternatively, you/they • Question form : Why are waiting those people?
record a text, and then
• Point of reference When we go to the party on
Saturday, let’s bring a bottle of wine. further production and • Adjectives: Many visitors say my Moodle page
is a tool very useful. ; A Brazilian old couple
The same with cards/
listen or you record will visit us next month.
blue tack [on board]
• Word form : She speaks and writes English very sentences that are
good ; Which color are your eyes?; Press the • enough : He is not enough rich to buy a house.
button and then after the coke will come out. ; right/wrong and they
The fire spread very quickly, but everyone could must listen out. • Adverbial clauses : They go every day to
escape. school. ; It was very late, so I opened very
quietly the door; I won't probably see you
tomorrow.
• Prepositions: The lawyer's office is in the first
floor . • Separable phrasal verbs :Your new shoes are
Errors, attempts and slips/IX 23 very nice, but please put on them Errors, attempts and slips/IX 24

Tennent 4

Some good reasons for using
Direct Translation
translation
• I have 32 years. (I have 32 years old). • How long do you know Helen? • MOTIVATING and challenging at all levels and rewarding as
results are immediate.
• I born/am born in Buenos Aires. • He is in Canada since April

• I am working at 20 minutes from Reus. • I'm tired. I'm wanting to go home • Favours both teacher >native speakers of
Spanish/Catalan/Basque/Gallego, etc. and of English - both
• [on the phone] Hello. Here is Peter
• Tell me how she is ( meaning “what she’s aware difficulties when learning the language
like”)
Simpson./I am Peter Simpson.

• I am agree with you.
• Today is hot • Easy to correct, evaluate, explain, cheap and easy to
manufacture and can be tailor made, etc.
• Please, open page 15 of your book. Let's
• They go to differents places every begin from page 15.
year. • Flexible exercise> homework/ used last 5 mins in class.
• Oow!! I cut me the finger with this knife!!
• She drinks much coffee every day
• I want that you are happy in our house. • Learner training and autonomy> aware of their failings, of
• Can you see the children of Mrs. difficult areas in a language, shows importance of using tools at
Kelly? • Is it going to rain tomorrow? I don't hope
so. disposal ( e.g dictionaries) properly.
• Do you go out tonight?
• I cut my hair at the hairdresser’s once a
Errors, attempts and month.
slips/IX 25 Errors, attempts and slips/IX 26

Translation ?
• Hola, et truco per tal de dir-te que estic d’acord amb el
que prepareu per la festa de fi de curs. Vull que em
truquis al més aviat possible. Adeu!
• Acquire CONFIDENCE, helps use language more fluently and
lose self-consciousness . Eventually structure acquired >stop
translating and becomes part of active knowledge. • Hello, I call you so that /for to say you that I am agree
with that which you prepare for the party of the end of
• Type of mistakes common with a number students course. I want that you phone [to] me the sooner as
> no one feels singled out or ridiculed
possible. Goodbye!
> T usually helping more than one student at a time.

• base and vital tool for projects and cross-curricular activities • You may want to make the lesson amusing by
showing how mistranslations can produce
ludicrous results.

Notice at Catanya Airport, Sicily Incorrect acquisition
I never would of • It is usually solved by
thought that he could clarifying and pointing
behave like that out the correct form.

They’d arrived by then
( they would)

She’s gonna come
tomorrow.

Tennent 5

Spelling and Punctuation A thought …
Its going to be sunny • Dictation • Exercises around specific point very
tomorrow.
useful, but then increase text, content, etc.
• Double correction of
Homophones/homographs written work with
and add variety …..see what happens.
correction key.
Deadly compositions !!!
• Word search grids.

• Crosswords.


Some internet pages to work on • Frankfurt International School : Error corrrection
mistakes in class or as homework http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/correctText/index.htm
• New English File Elementary
Is there a mistake?
http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/elementary/d_phrasebank/ef_el
em_practicaleng01?cc=cz&selLanguage=cs • ESL Common Errors Workbook
Memorizing language structures and vocabulary

http://elt.oup.com/student/englishfile/elementary/g_ef_elem_builder? http://wps.ablongman.com/long_faigley_penguinhb_1/0,
cc=cz&selLanguage=cs 7325,506655-,00.html
Revision (past tenses)

http://elt.oup.com/student/practicegrammar/irreg/opg_irregular_01?c
c=global&selLanguage=en
• Tests on Common Errors in English: Homophones and
• Common Errors Quiz other confusing words
http://a4esl.org/q/h/9704/rv-mistakes.html http://www.esldesk.com/common-errors-english


Some internet pages to have a look
Teacher oriented correction
at
• Peer correction
Back to back correction : http://eslsite.com/rd/Error_Correction/back_to_back_correction.html • Top 50 Funniest Innocent Mistakes in
• Pair work correction
English
Future tenses : http://eslsite.com/rd/Error_Correction/future_corrections.html
Sentence correction gymkhana http://eslsite.com/rd/Error_Correction/sentence_corrections.html http://www.innocentenglish.com/funny-
english-mistakes-bloopers/funny-english-
• Class activities
Correct mistakes that everybody makes : student-mistakes/funniest-student-
http://www.eslhandouts.com/materials/Mistakes%20that%20everybody%20makes.pdf
Auditives bloopers.html
Kynaesthetic correction ( younger groups)
http://eslsite.com/rd/Error_Correction/jump_left_right.html
Missing word http://eslsite.com/rd/Error_Correction/missing_word.html
Too many words http://eslsite.com/rd/Error_Correction/too_many_words.html
• Golden Errors
• Individual work
One to one feedback grid http://eslsite.com/rd/Error_Correction/giving_feedback.html http://eslprof.com/start.htm

Tennent 6

Some books to leaf through…
• Brians, Paul : Common Errors in English Usage - partially online
http://public.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html

• Fitikides , T.J. Common mistakes in English by, Pearson Education.

• HEATON, J. & TURTON, N.D.: Dictionary of Common Errors (& Workbook), Longman, 1988.

• MERINO, J. : What is wrong, what is right ? , Alhambra, 1981.

• MURPHY, R. & RODELLAR, M.J.:”Las "trampas" del inglés. ¿Podemos evitar
los errores típicos de los hispanoparlantes? Ed. de Vecchi, Barcelona, 1987.

• O'NEILL, M.: ¿ El inglés ? ¿ Sin problemas ! • Ed. Edward Arnold, 1989.

• VANN, R., MEYER, D. & LORENZ, F.O : Error Gravity: a study of faculty opinion of SL
errors., TESOL Quarterly (18), 3:427:440,1984

• Guide Error Correction
Exercises for Spanish-speaking Students of English Level c1 Book 1 and 2 by Michael
Kennedy-Scanlon, Juli Cebrián and John Bradbury : Servei de Publicacions de la
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, 2010

Errors, attempts and slips/IX 37
Jornades LLE Tarragona/Y.Scott-

Tennent 7

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