#teachingisfun

We all make mistakes. They are a natural part of our lives, especially when we are learning a foreign language. Our students make mistakes, too. I do believe that if we know why our students make mistakes, we will be able to provide better feedback. Thus, the lessons will be more productive.

Fear of making a mistake

Sometimes students are so terrified of making a mistake, that they actually make mistakes. I know many people who were scolded by teachers in primary school. Now, when they are teenagers or adults, they are afraid to make a mistake.

In this case, it is important to let them know that it is OK to make mistakes, that the world will not end, and that we can learn from our mistakes. 

“Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes.”

John Dewey

It’s important to create a supportive environment where students feel motivated to try, even if they don’t succeed. In my opinion, we should provide more positive feedback. If there is a grammar mistake in a sentence, but a student uses new vocabulary, we should point out the correct usage of vocabulary. Moreover, when we make mistakes, it helps us learn, develop, and become independent.

Example from my own experience

Once, I gave my student an online exercise as a part of her homework. But during our lesson, I wanted to explain to her how to do it. There was a short with missing verbs and a drop-down menu to choose the correct tense of the verb. There were four options. So, if you choose one option, and it is not correct, you can choose another one. If the other one is not correct, you can choose another one, etc. 

My student wanted to do the 1st sentence together. I gave her some time to think and did not intrude into her thinking process. Her first choice was not correct. She expected me to tell her the right answer. However, I did not. Instead, I asked her to rethink her choice and choose another option. I added that there was nothing wrong with making mistakes. She was surprised as I was the only one. Although it was not the first time, I told her this.

I felt like it was my mistake that my student did not memorize, that it is OK to make mistakes, and it is a natural process of learning.

Laziness or low standards

Have you ever heard from a student who makes a mistake, and you correct it, “But native speakers will understand me, right?” Jesus, I have heard it. I have got no right to call them lazy but, honestly, sometimes I do think that they are lazy. Because my students refuse to work on their mistakes before the mistakes become fossilized. 

Yes, I tell them that they will be understood. Then, I add that my students will not sound professional and remind them of their purpose of learning a foreign language. But still, some learners are lazy and it is challenging. 

If kids, teenagers, or adults have low standards, it may be because their family, friends, or colleagues have low standards, too.  What do you think?

Lack of motivation

We all know that some learners lose motivation while learning a foreign language. There may be different reasons: burnout, stress, boredom, feeling overwhelmed, lack of clear goals, or maybe they have already reached their goals. 

One of the ways out is to have an honest talk. Once, it turned out that my student was overwhelmed and tired, so I suggested having a one-week break from our classes.

According to “betterhelp” these are the signs that indicate a lack of motivation:

• difficulty getting started on tasks or projects;
• procrastination;
• lack of energy and enthusiasm;
• disinterest in activities that were once enjoyed;
• negative self-talk and self-doubt;
• increased absenteeism or tardiness.

Tiredness, stress, and anxiety

When students are tired or stressed, they tend to miss out on words and use simpler forms. Yet, they can correct themselves if you prompt them.

In addition, when students are nervous, they might make disjointed sentences with numerous hesitations or speak in monosyllables.

To reduce stress, before the lesson, you may ask your students how they would like to be corrected. You can use colors. For example, make three circles and color them:

Red — please, do not correct me today.

Yellow —  please, correct me, but not too much.

Green —  yes, correct me, please!

Carelessness

In this case, students do not pay enough attention; they might be distracted. For example, they can say, “I’ll be in a minute. I am just wearing my coat”. This could also be because the person is tired or because the language is different. 

I have a student, who studies at a college. He tends to do his homework while he is in a lecture, and he doesn’t like it. I can instantly spot it. 

The interlanguage stage/Mother-tongue interference

It is a stage in language acquisition wherein individuals integrate elements of their own language structure, pronunciation, and rules with the target language. For example: “I have gone shopping yesterday.” 

Over-application

When students learn a rule, they might apply it to all cases. For example, when they learn Past Simple. Students know that we form Past Simple by adding the suffix -ed. This is an example of over-application: “I goed shopping yesterday”. Yes, students have learned that we add –ed when we use Past Simple. But probably they haven’t learned irregular verbs yet, or have not learned which verbs are regular and which are irregular.

Translation

While speaking or writing, some students might translate from their mother tongue. For example, students might say “please” when students give someone something.

There may be different reasons for this. For instance, if students were asked to translate a lot when they started learning a foreign language. 

Developmental errors

A developmental error is an error made by a second language learner, which could also be made by a child learning their mother tongue as part of their normal development. A second language learner might make the error because they are applying a rule they have learned that doesn’t work for this particular case, for example, “a books.” 

A fossilized error

A fossilized error is an error that has become (almost) permanent in a learner’s language and has become a habit. Usually, fossilized errors cannot easily be corrected. For example, a B2 learner might habitually not add an ‘s’ when saying third-person singular Present Simple verbs. Learners at this level are not supposed to make such mistakes, but, for this learner, the error was not corrected early and it has become habitual.

Final thoughts:

I hope that you found this blog post useful. If so, share it with your colleagues or friends.

Використані джерела:

The power of embracing mistakes in the classroom. DisplayNote. (2023, September 21). https://www.displaynote.com/blog/montage-the-power-of-embracing-mistakes-in-the-classroom/

Rhodes, D. L. (2022, September 11). Why people make mistakes and how to prevent them in the future. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-people-make-mistakes-how-prevent-them-future-dr-leonaura-rhodes/

Team, B. E. (2023, October 23). Lack of motivation and how to overcome it. BetterHelp. https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/motivation/common-causes-of-lack-of-motivation-and-how-to-overcome-them/

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