Grammar Correction: Helpful or Harmful?

[chingsch]

anyone pls correct my grammar thanks

I highly appreciated all your replies,i think some people have false judgement towards you aa , i rather prefer (pasaway) person than those ones who are ( showbiss.. i find you a very humble person particularly to your fans you take to communicate though youre consider as one of the big star in showbiz today

[pauljeffs]

Originally Posted by scmatsuura

Hello All-

I've been reading some very interesting articles by Dr. John Truscott and Dr. Dana Ferris. In Dr. Truscott's papers, he argues that grammar correction is unnecessary and even harmful to language learners. On the other hand, Dr. Ferris admits some forms of grammar correction are unproductive, but as a whole, grammar correction is necessary.

My question is: Have you found grammar correction to be helpful or harmful in your experience? I would love to hear your stories!

I think that grammar correction probably does more harm than good in most cases as it is very easy to undermine the learner's confidence. The incorrect use of grammar or vocabulary for that matter is very often caused by a student being 'out of their depth' and very rarely prevents actual communication. Correction sometimes requires a detailed explanation which can quite often confuse a student, particularly when a rule is pitted with a number of those famous exceptions

Having said that there are some students that 'insist' that you correct each and every error which is probably ok on a one-to-one basis but it is very interrupting in a group situation.

English grammar perfection is something that can be left to the learner to grasp as they progress, it is very often the case that if you need to correct then they are possibly not ready to learn. I have found that sometimes repeating the correct version of the grammar during a conversation will send a message to an observant learner that he or she may pick up on.

Good luck with whichever course of action you decided to take.

[A K M Kamrul Hasan]

To All who read it-

I firmly believe that grammar is necessary as well as grammatical corrections. But the fact is that to a new learner often becomes a burden and disheartening. That is why the beginners should be allowed a little bit flexibility and freedom in the case of grammatical mistakes.
Whereas, the learners of higher studies or other upper levels should learn it more practically and as comprehensively as possible.

[A K M Kamrul Hasan]

To All who read it-

I firmly believe that grammar is necessary as well as grammatical corrections. But the fact is that, to a new learner, often it becomes a burden and may be disheartening. That is why the beginners should be allowed a little bit flexibility and freedom in the case of grammatical mistakes.
Whereas, the learners of higher studies or other upper levels should learn it more practically and as comprehensively as possible.

[konungursvia]

It has to be done tactfully, thoughtfully, and with kindness, but correction in and of itself is not the problem. It is the degree, and kind, of correction. I personally correct everything in writing, but focus only on selected corrections orally.

In writing, I have students re-write their work taking into account their corrections, and give them a good deal of praise for the perfected work.

[philo2009]

As something of a grammar 'expert', my natural inclination is to correct each and every mistake that any student of mine makes! What, however, as a professional language teacher I endeavour to do is to restrict corrections essentially to two cases:

(1) SERIOUS errors (i.e. where there is a real risk of miscommunication), e.g.

*I went to the beach tomorrow.

(Is the student referring to a past activity or to a future plan??)

(2) REPEATED errors: even if there is not necessarily a serious risk of miscommunication, a frequently repeated error will tend to grate on even the most sympathetic collocutor and may eventually become so annoying as to divert his/her attention away from the contents. Generally, once the student has made the same mistake about 3 times, I tend to intervene.

Otherwise, my basic policy is to let the student speak unhindered for as long as possible!

[konungursvia]

Originally Posted by philo2009

As something of a grammar 'expert', my natural inclination is to correct each and every mistake that any student of mine makes! What, however, as a professional language teacher I endeavour to do is to restrict corrections essentially to two cases:

(1) SERIOUS errors (i.e. where there is a real risk of miscommunication), e.g.

*I went to the beach tomorrow.

(Is the student referring to a past activity or to a future plan??)

(2) REPEATED errors: even if there is not necessarily a serious risk of miscommunication, a frequently repeated error will tend to grate on even the most sympathetic collocutor and may eventually become so annoying as to divert his/her attention away from the contents. Generally, once the student has made the same mistake about 3 times, I tend to intervene.

Otherwise, my basic policy is to let the student speak unhindered for as long as possible!

Well there are different types of activities, so it all depends. In the language laboratory, such as Pimsleur's or other drills, I correct oral mistakes thoroughly. In language dynamics, a free conversation just for using the language and interacting, I correct no errors, unless the person trips up and looks to me for help. I use about eight to ten lesson formats, all alternating every 25 minutes or so. Only a few involve detailed corrections.

[rocking]

I often wonder how tolerant native speakers are when they come to foreign lanugage user's mistakes. It seems to me that it is difficult to get a chance to be corrected at a more advanced level when basic grammar is not longer the most obvious errors (as in the case of translations). It is more up to the users' own self-correciton.

Secondly, is my impression correct that we foreign language users should do better (although nowhere clearly stated) in written texts than in speech contexts? Do native speakers value more of the quality of writing since it is a more complicated process?

I also feel puzzled that even at a high intermediate level or above, English learners are asked to write in a clear but simpler way because it is what the trends of comtemporary English are in the interenational context. But in reality it does not quite seem so- one still needs a much richer and extensive language knowlege to function in a way to be equally respectible, because after all it is one's communication competence that counts in one's office.

I am glad to have a chance like this to discuss with you, people who have an interest in your own lanaguge and are willing to share some views with its learners. I'm looking forward to recieving your replies.

[Raymott]

Originally Posted by rocking

I often wonder how tolerant native speakers are when they come to foreign lanugage user's mistakes.
This would vary with how tolerant a specific person is of foreigners in general. That varies widely.

It seems to me that it is difficult to get a chance to be corrected at a more advanced level when basic grammar is not longer the most obvious errors (as in the case of translations). It is more up to the users' own self-correciton.
It would normally be considered rude to correct a stranger's grammar just for the teaching practice. If a person can understand your meaning, they're very unlikely to take it upon themselves to give you a grammar lesson.

Secondly, is my impression correct that we foreign language users should do better (although nowhere clearly stated) in written texts than in speech contexts? Do native speakers value more of the quality of writing since it is a more complicated process?
When you're speaking with someone, you are immediately available to clarify any mistakes you make. Together you can "negotiate a meaning".
This doesn't apply to writing.

R.

[Bright One]

In my experience in learning English, I'd say grammar should be an upper-intermediate to an advanced subject to be taught. I learned grammar since my early stages in the language and now I can say: It's "beneficial in writing" - "bad in speaking." (a lot of thinking = delay in responding)

This is what I think of teaching grammar where it shouldn't be taught in the early stages and obviously this is not the topic discussed here but it's related somehow.

As for the grammar correction, I'd correct grammar but not everything (depending on the level of mistake the student makes) and also correct the mistake most often in an indirect way, for example, not every mistake I'd say: DON'T say X BUT say Y! Instead I could repeat what the student said in a way or another in the correct form.