The Teachers' Room: Correcting errors

There are lots of things to take into consideration when correcting errors. It's important to think about the purpose of the activity. Guide students to the answer. Peer correction is a great idea. Keep in mind the activity - accuracy or fluency? Use body language for on-the-spot correction. Delayed correction is better in a fluency activity. Don't forget to praise too!
Watch Dan and Sian's video.
This is a natural conversation, so no transcript is included.
For more, visit our website:
www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/...

[@MaxSorokin]

All episodes with Sian are perfect!

[@vancentle991]

In my opinion, you guys are making learning English is more interesting and fun. Thank you for your effort.

[@arissetiawan7037]

Sian is my best teacher in BBC and love it with her accent, her smile an gesture to explain the topics

[@jelenakodic3399]

I am constantly agonizing over the error correction, and these were some great tips. I think i will try everything but the slapping (actually, I will replace it with some lighter gesture, like pulling yourself by the nose or something similar :)). What I also do is correcting through the echo, e.g. if a student says: "I like it a lot, but he don't", I will repeat: "I like it a lot, but he?" and give them a chance to correct themselves.

[@brianconn6434]

I believe that's called prompting and I like to use that a lot too. It takes the students a few tries to get accustomed to what I'm doing but once they do I find it quite effective.

[@fernandahenriquebana8658]

You're awesome teachers!!! I really liked this series. Congrats!!!

[@m3anaorm3anaor80]

Words can not describe how awesome are your courses ! 😮

[@bbclearningenglish]

Thank you so much for your kind compliment 💓

[@m3anaorm3anaor80]

And what a civilized way to correct other's mistake ! 😊

[@arjunshivajijain2557]

I am loving this new series!

[@franfleck]

Amazing tips! I think it would be great to make the students mark and count their own mistakes and correct them all in the end of the class. Also warming up and sretching up with some plays is a good way to encourage the students to talk. It could be correcting each other too.

[@Marychebaa]

Dear BBC learning English Team, Thank you so much for all the job you do)) Watching you on a daily basis during the breakfast is so cool)) I love you, guys, really)) Good luck with your projects))!

You're both amazing....having so much laugh watching you! Keep up the good work!!!

[@user-yw7js3nt2w]

Hi, perfect teachers! I am happy to watch you both again and again))) As to me I teach English mostly online (Skype/Zoom). And while my student is reading a text looking at the computer screen I don't interrupt him/her, instead of it I just highlight the word or phrase where he's just made a mistake by reading. All my students know that))) and they correct themselves at once)))

[@elenaprovodok6994]

Could you tell me which tool you use to highlight wrong words.

[@lorenzocubillos7112]

A technique to correct mistake is to permit students to discuss as a group a grammar aspect and they share their final result as a construction of their learning. This works if it is presented to others. It is a game. And emotionally effective with a sort of reward.... Greetings from Chile!!!

[@stzopensource9926]

I like their style . Really awesome....

[@israelsilva5427]

- Why do we always study grammar? - Because you need it. That was the best Hahahaha

[@jiaorongpei4981]

I don't think it is a good idea to ask students to hit themselves when they make a mistake. That hurts, both physically and mentally. I have an idea, when a student makes a mistake, the teacher can re-organize that sentence in a correct way by saying:" do you mean..." or "so, in your opinion,..." or "why do you think..." if you want to further the conversation. For example, in this video, Dan said "my father is a strong smoker", then, teacher can reply immediately:"do you mean your father is a heavy smoker? ". Instantly, students will realize their mistake and correct themselves. It's really a very good natural way to correct errors.

[@learnislamstepbystep2869]

I fully agree

[@tarikenglish3]

Very useful teaching techniques 💖

[@robert_zhang5425]

Great video. Really useful.

[@jeancalosdearaujo9847]

I love your videos!!

[@user-zs1ww4od1x]

you are great teachers! awesome videos! :)

[@kalyangautham3085]

Learning is so much fun on your channel☺

[@RatonMick1206]

I love you guys, I wish you can be my teachers.

[@m2gcardhunter]

Thank you, teachers!

[@centaur8511]

You're great. Thanks a lot.

[@juliemelsuan5773]

Great video. This would really help me in making my essay about it.

[@soniasimoes4310]

I love it! Thanks!

[@Amirhossein8844]

Really lively and fun!

[@tawfiklibya216]

good stuff thank you!! pls can you focus more on very advanced things?

[@mrszm5709]

You're awesome. I liked the vid so much

[@w_digital]

👏👏👏👏👍👍 Hi! from Barranquilla Colombia. both are excelent.

[@yainneracosta8233]

Winston C que viva Junior, greetings pal

[@ixchelysaloj851]

Thank you for your effort!! I really enjoyed your video!!!

[@bbclearningenglish]

That's great, Ixchely! Thank you for your comment. ☺️

[@nyandakfamous5431]

you are so funny teachers so I really like you and your teaching. When I am listen to your teaching I never feeling bored. I am enjoy and happy during your teaching and interested. Therefore, Thank you so much my amazing teachers. I wait for your new teaching.

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hi Ngawang Nyandak. Thank you for your comment. We are glad you like our videos. Visit our website for more videos, guides and quizzes to help you improve your English: www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/

[@Maclindows10]

I love your videos n I love Sian’s laughs

[@bbclearningenglish]

Thank you for your comment, Victor. Sian will be pleased to know that.☺️

[@dr.ramenglish3651]

You're great guys. We love youuuuu

[@redrose007888]

That’s brilliant!!

[@Hannan20245]

so much love from Morocco

[@tgchan]

Thank you~!!

[@attichandmadeshop662]

so funny. you're great. thanks a lot

[@user-lx4ox9yx2i]

Children like fun and amusement. So having your lessons in a fun way while at the same time using your body language, gestures and hits is really demanding nowadays.

[@hamidafg8181]

Thanks

[@kandariforever5676]

Thank you 😍

[@maysankhalil4749]

Thanks a lot

[@molyjavadi7131]

So what I do is tell them to bring sweets the next session, and if they have already brought sweets, then the next time it is ice cream, and the third is pizza. Usually this is for a very friendly class, where joking is easy. Mainly, it ends at only bringing sweets. Never have I had pizza! And it is usually for sth. I have taught and want them to remember., not just all errors or mistakes. For example if I have already taught present perfect, it is for errors they make with that particular grammar function.

[@valentynastoyanova2973]

Are you not doing these videos any more?

[@nassmawarda9503]

Thank you

[@hamedmosavi2282]

well done...

[@manuchehrmukhidinov7111]

You can watch endless of time 3 things: 1. the burning fire; 2. pouring water; 3. And how Dan slaps himself to the face.

[@onnojogot9014]

This is so much fun 😁

[@harveysp5899]

thank you

[@pacifist2664]

i have watched several of these videos. And it was all interesting.But there is one thing that triggered my curriousity, which is the the toys on front of the camera. As a teacher, is there any psychological reason behind, you, putting toys on front of the camera?

[@alexiacarneiromaria3444]

you'd be very good with there were subtitles for these videos! Some Teachers are not native and the British accent is very strong.

[@idoiasarrieguitaboas8328]

Thank you, great tips, But I wonder how could I correct them while they are reading, should I wait until they're finished?

[@yelena_ric]

Of course, you should. They develop their reading skills - not pronunciation.

[@mr__signature]

how to get that t-shirt??🤔🤔 I wish I could have

[@AndreLuizAraujo-qs7ff]

You guys are lovely

[@Domiciano1953]

I liked it! Sort of fun...

[@nabakrrajeeyungsabarman9453]

My spectacle is new. Is there any mistake

[@BBOYILJAVM]

My favourites

[@user-fs6cq2qg4d]

I am an Arabic teacher for non-native speakers, almost I use these procedures and sometimes I repeat the student's sentences in a correct way with a stress on the right word.

[@Vayolka33]

I don't understand English, but you are good and funny

[@MuhannadGhazal]

Well thank you Mario 😂😂😂

[@nikpeachey8975]

At 1:07 you demonstrate correcting words by getting them on your fingers. Great technique, but you got your hands the wrong way around. You are putting the words on right hand and pointing with your left. The impact for this with a real student is that they will be seeing the sentence on your fingers from right to left instead of left to right. Great if you are teaching Arabic, but otherwise you should put the words onto your left hand starting with the little finger and point to the fingers with your right hand. Then the student who is facing you will see the sentence going left to right.

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hi Nik! Thanks - good point.

[@popioneer2181]

Still I don't comprehend what this is for?

[@bbclearningenglish]

Hi Po Pioneer This video is part of our series The Teachers’ Room. It's a show all about teaching practice.

[@popioneer2181]

@@bbclearningenglish Your efforts support & inspire me to learn ENGLISH with its correct pronunciation of words.

[@agirlontheplanet]

1,2 are wrong since-> for has-> have

[@bafmkbafmk9984]

Hello. Students must be familiar with terminology ex:student- I goed to the cinema. teacher- Irregular verb! Another is Clarification. S-I did nothing. T- everyday or yesterday Another is provide Choice. S- I did a mistake, T- did or made? I wish to have that T-Shirt😊

[@arissetiawan7037]

you guys looks erorr...i love it your style

[@mohdamin1830]

me mohd amin form India I am new student I wanna learn English

[@kamransharifi9045]

I reckon we shouldn't correct our students :( we should help them to find their errors and correct those themselves.

[@irisaracelir.valdovinos3806]

Sometimes the students don't get that hahaha

[@oriana_fortunato]

These videos are really good but telling students to slap themselves, even if it's not hard, because of their errors is extremely problematic. You can give them some extra practice if they hit a very high number of errors but hitting themselves... not even as a joke.

[@noorfarah1873]

4 times he hit himself

[@Sina_TM]

Thank you for the tips. But the slapping as a joke idea is simply too weird to be suggested by you and this page.

[@user-oo7mz1bz8z]

He's a heavy smoker

[@SilentCrypto535]

I used to practice my English with a friend of mine, and If I were to slap him every time he made a mistake, he would still be in a comma.