Errors And Error Corrections In Second Language Learning

Error correction is a well-established aspect of second language learning that many, if not all, learners experience. It has, for many years, been believed to benefit the learners; some methodologies for second language acquisition and learning are built on error correction (behaviourism, for instance, as it follows that language learning is simply forming habits; bad habits – ie. errors – must not be permitted). However, in recent years the benefits of error correction have come under severe scrutiny, and a fierce debate rages regarding whether or not correcting learner errors truly help, or if they hinder. This essay will attempt to deal with the conflicting evidence. It will provide a working definition of errors and error correction, and …show more content…
Corder (1967) defined error as a separate entity from mistake, an invaluable distinction with language learning: a mistake is simply a random performance slip, and does not relate at all to competence. Errors are systematic deviations by learners who have not mastered the target …show more content…
Many linguists and second-language teachers believed correction to be a normal, even necessary, aspect of language-learning. However, the efficacy had not been proven – the studies that had been done were not overwhelmingly convincing – and there came about much debate on the effectiveness. For instance, Schlue found that only 35% of the errors were located by her students,, while Hendrickson (1978) found that the literature was "quite speculative and relatively lacking", however some "general and specific implications could be drawn"; specifically, the improvement of both oral and written proficiency in second language learners, and that while teacher correction was not necessarily effective, peer and self-correction – with teacher guidance – may be worth studying further, as it appeared more