THE IMPORTANCE OF ERRORS´ CORRECTION

The errors’ study is an important part of students learning process, since they could be viewed by teachers and students as potential indicators of weaknesses and important sources of improvement. However, in some cases, teachers are not well prepared to give a special treatment of those errors and some of them lost useful opportunities to make their students aware about their importance. In fact, researchers have tried to answer many questions related to the study of errors, some focused on their taxonomy, others in their evaluation and others in their causes but those studies have presented a lot of debilities and they have generated new doubts.

 According to Hedge, Tricia (2000)”Errors are conceived as undesirable forms of language, accuracy in grammatical rules are one of the strongest aspects”. Fortunately, in spite of that the principles of the communicative approach argue that teachers´ main task is providing students with chances to use the language to interact with others. On this respect, Brown(2004) claims that “Beyond grammatical and discourse elements in communication, we are probing the nature of social, cultural and pragmatic features of language and exploring pedagogical means for “real-life” communication in classroom” (p.77)

In first place, one of the most important aspects of error correction models is the way teachers conceive the language assessment. It could be influenced by the way they perceive language, since some teachers based their practices on behavioristic  or audio-lingual models( among others) where learning a language is thought as an accurate report of speech or writing texts, more than as a mean to relate with others. The point is not just to frame language learning in a correct production of well-structured forms but in a natural process of interaction with others for both: comprehending what others want to express and being understood. Based on Allwright D and Baley K (1994)” Research on error treatment to date has been limited largely to accuracy errors, which are relatively easy to identify, but clearly we will not be able to say we know very much about the error treatment” (p. 85)

For that reason, giving an adequate and meaningful feedback is the desired final step in teacher´s assessment. This is the opportunity for students to make it better. However, we often assigned tasks and evaluated them only once, without giving our students opportunities for revising, reflecting, editing and delivering or presenting again evidencing a process of growing which is followed step by step through practice. Skilbeck (1984) says that “assessment is a process of determining and passing judgments on student´s learning potential and performance”. However, we focus our attention in detecting incorrect forms of language while they are trying to produce something. So, what is the purpose to detect only failures in our students? If we did so what is our role as a teachers in the learning process?

Secondly, based on the behavioristic approach as cited by Ellis (1994) errors are the result of a negative transfer of L1 habits. On the contrary, for mentalistic approaches errors are considered as natural part of the learning process and labeled as intralingual because they are constructed in the basis of L1.If errors correction is leaded as the whole assessment of a process as a end-of term of a topic it will give as just a part of the all learning process carried out by the student. That it to say, the whole process imply a view not just on student´s failures as in a countable corpus but also student´s strengths. For that reason, it is vital for us as teachers to ask ourselves: Have students gained a clear idea of their errors importance or how to overcome them? Do students have to opportunities to correct and learn from their own errors?

Thirdly, it implies a redefinition of errors analysis since the learner´s perception. Most of them just view the paper full of red marks looking for the score and that´s all. The majority of them do not analyze what their failures where and why. A good process of errors corrections provides students with meaningful data to know and to grow through the language reinforcement. Similarly, when they are speaking and they are corrected they feel unsecured for a next time participation so, they decide avoid the communicative situations and do not take risks.

Finally, I would like to reflect about the situation my little daughter of eight years old is facing up in her English class, which is closely related with those wrong conceptions that some teachers have about error corrections. Some weeks ago, when I was revising her English notebook, I read a note made by the principal about my daughter´s lack of quality to do things. He wrote “there is a lack of quality in everything” and writes a 3.0 as a final score followed by his signature (see appendix 1). I was really concerned about this situation because of many reasons: firstly, I assumed it was a qualification of her notebook in terms of esthetic form because he also made comments about her calligraphy and the use of pen. Secondly, he was evaluating a process through a notebook record which was well presented in terms of classroom work and esthetics. Thirdly, he is not an English teacher so he does not know anything about its teaching and learning processes, so what kind of criteria could he have to asses and to assign a mark? Then I talked to my daughter, who is in fourth grade, and she told me she was really sad about the score because her partners got a better mark and she did not comprehend why? I asked her about her comprehension of the hard expression” lack of quality” and she answered to me” it is my ugly calligraphy, drawings and coloring”. I felt so terrible when I heard that but I just forgot that first signal.

That weekend was the beginning of holy week and my sister was asked to write 20 sentences with the pronouns and verb to be, also, to describe some members of the family supported by drawings. I have noticed that she was studied at school something about present continuous, then some adjectives and vocabulary related to clothing, and then she was just working with pronouns and verb To Be in present. She was confused about the use of Have, Ing forms, To Be and to wear and I thought teacher did not deal a well coherent process because she was teaching at the end, the topic she should be taught at the beginning. So, I gave my daughter some vocabulary related to professions and places as necessary input to perform the first task described above (to write the 20 sentences) it was easy for her to construct them and she drew some images to associate the new words. When, she delivered her homework her teacher looked at the sentences and they were good but when she looked at the drawings she got angry and told to my daughter to pull the homework’s sheets out and to repeat the whole task again. Finally, she wrote on the notebook “do the homework again. There is a lack of quality!! (see appendix 1)

This time I was angry because of teacher´s attitude, my daughter came back home sad saying she did not do things well; she did not know anything about English that I was teaching her in a wrong way. I decided to go to the school and to talk to the teacher. When I arrived she began to make negative comments about my daughter’s low performance in the subject and she affirmed that will lose the subject that period for sure since she could not do anything correctly, for example she said “she did not draw and color as a child of fourth grade”, also, she claimed that she was the unique student who lost the oral evaluation and the written exam presented two days before. I was in shock because I knew my daughter had the competence, so what was happening with her performance? I required the exam to make some analysis about it and when the teacher came back she told me “I apologize with you because she passed the oral exam I was confused “. In that moment I felt she was making judgments of my daughter performance based on her subjective impressions. 

However, she got a bad score in the written exam (2,0). I noticed that my daughter was ashamed, sad and unmotivated. When I was revising the text I realized my daughter had answered everything and her answers were related to the questions. Her errors were misspelling words and the incorrect use of noun- adjective (pants blue) but in general terms she tried to accomplish with the task (see appendix 2). As a teacher I consider there were a lot of big mistakes inside this assessment process, the use of disqualified and level appropriated comments for the teacher and the principal, the principal´s intromission in the process, the teacher preferences towards esthetics aspects more in the communicative purpose of language, her subjective wrong impressions about my daughter which were centered on her failures and the inadequate score she gave at the written text focused on detecting well written words and forms of language more than in the language function. According to Oller´s (1976) as cited by Allwright D and Baley K (1994) “teacher must provide learners with appropriate cognitive feedback as well as affective support” (p.99)

REFERENCES:

Allwright, D and Bailey, K (1994). Focus on the language classroom. The treatment of oral errors in language classrooms (p. 82-86) Cambridge: Unversity Press.

Brown, H. Douglas (1994). Teaching by principles. USA: Editorial Paramount.

Ellis,R (1994). The study of second language acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hedge, Tricia(2000). Teaching and learning in the Language Classroom.  Oxford U.P

Skilbeck (1984.  School Based Curriculum development. London: Paul Chapman

1st INTERNATIONAL SEMMINAR IN RESEARCH METHODOLOGY OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

I would like beginning my comments about the semminar focus on the importance to carry out this important academic events and to have the possibility to participate as in this good semminar carried out at the UPTC. We have the possiblity not only to see a variety gamme of interventions but also different points of view not just to consider but also to feel  the research process. I could conclude that the research desire cannot be imposed, it is a deeply interest of the teacher to understand a phenomena; to reflect about his/her own field and job, to tray to change something based on theories and experiences and to evaluate them into daily practice looking for a kind of improvement of his/her professional development and learning processes. 

This motivation for research comes out form daily work experiences in the classroom, with students, while performing and activity, with the results of a process, when you share experiences with colleagues, something that happens and makes you ask or being curios on that, something that is not functioning, something that happens and you don´t have explanations to understand what is behind that situation. 

There are still many things to discover through research, because everything what happens to a student or a teacher in a context, it is a unique oportunity to discover and to learn something. That experience won´t be repeated again, since we are working with individuals, one completely different to the other. How different humans beigns are and for that reason, how different we think, we communicate, we express, we behave, we understand and we produce. There are many topics to learn and to research trough our classes. however, in some of the cases, teachers limit themselves. For example, when they do not consider themselves able to do or to guide a research practice, to make some changes, to learn, to discover and probably, to unlearn. Unfortunately, most of the times teacher realizes that there is something happening but the doubt dies or it is just leaved behind.

Finally, everything begins only with our desire to clarify and to comprehend a real situation. more than our task it is our commitment as educators, not just with the society, or our schools but with each one of the valuable students we are privileged to meet and to share with in our classes. Just some few changes can make the difference and each teacher needs to comprehend it. 

SOME REFLECTIONS BASED ON A WONDERFUL MOVIE : AWAKENINGS

This movie came to my life when I really needed to reflect on how beautiful or trivial can be life for people. It depends on how you face up it and the attitude you assume in front of the great and small things it has, but also, with some troubles we can find in our ways.  It is impossible not to feel touch by the history of this doctor, and of course, the life of his patient Leonard.  

You visualize yourself in the other side of the way looking at many students, who seem to be highlighted or abandoned by the society. Those children and adolescent who don´t keep on the standards that society impose to be considered as normal or well behaved. Those parameters, that we also as teachers use to identify if a student deserves to be taking into account or being considered as a “problem”,  when probably, we are the real obstacles for them. As human beings we are all different, no matter if we come from to the same family and had the same kind of education. We cannot be considered as a homogenous multitude, but sometimes   that´s the way we look at, teach, direct and evaluate them, as a group not as an individual. In fact, we are able to categorize them according to our desired categories, comparing who’s better than one, who finishes faster than the other, who comprehends easier, who brings, who does, who participates, and so on.  Our mind is limited because we establish those limits.

However, education is a right for everyone; it is not a privilege for some students considered as “intelligent” because they get good scores in an exam or can remember a lesson. It should be focused on those people who have some limitations for doing or performing certain kind of things.  For people who needs our help to understand the world but also to discover who they are and to feel proud of what makes them unique.

In many classrooms are students who don´t feel motivated to go to school for the great adventure of discovering knowledge, but interested in other things such as: having lunch, meeting people, playing with their friends, just for family pressure or because they want to escape from the sadness and violence of their homes. But, most of the times, we don´t go beyond of the formal relation of the teacher and the student- The relationship between the “wise” and the “unaware”, the “full of knowledge” and the “empty box”-; Our main role is not as transistors but as educators.

 We have one of the most (if it is not the most) amazing, powerful and important professions and it is our duty to assume a real commitment to help people to change their conceptions of the world towards a better life and relationship among humans and nature. The doctor asked in the movie: “what are those patients waiting for?” and I am now asking myself “what are my students waiting for?” and “what are other students waiting for?” our knowledge and efforts should be directed to do our job  better each day.

I remembered a comment made by a teacher during a teachers´ meeting, where there were assigned the directions of some projects to some teachers of the school. She said “I am here for dictating a class not for planning, orienting and carring out projects”. How wrong some teachers were when they chose their profession. We are in schools because we are privileged of helping others and we enjoy it, sharing the small things we know trough a meaningful process which must be constantly changing, not just for reaching what we want, or government desires or society imposes, but also recognizing each human being important and unique.  As doctor´s final reflection argues “The human experience is more powerful than any drug and that’s what needs to be nurtured”

WHAT COULD LANGUAGE LEARNING AND LANGUAGE TEACHING BENEFIT FROM NEUROLINGUISTIC STUDIES?

Neurolinguistic studies are completely necessary to understand how language is processed and constructed in our brains. However, the complexity  and wonder of human brain makes that an aphotheosis meaningful which effort to understand it from different disciplines: physicholinguistic, cognitive neuroscience, medicine  and experiential physichology. Those findings are important to comprehend, to plan, to create, to apply, to reflect, to redirect, to evaluate and to direct a succesful process of   language learning and language teaching, since each step must be planned on the basis of a strong theory which supports the actions and made desicions. 

SOMETING ABOUT FOXP2

How important is for human beings to understand how language was produced as a magic conjure inside our brains. Nobody is coconscious about where, when, how and who makes that possible but everyone enjoys and uses it. In spite of animals whose brains seems to be squeezed to evolution while humans brains have given giant steps in advanced, for example developing our speech ability.

Probably it was a gift given by a superior force, probably humans were equipped with special devises to acquire it unconsciously, but probably the responsible of this incredible and perfect process is Foxp2 gene. This gene and protein is directly related to speech human development. According to Enard (2002) foxpo2 molecular evolution is directly implied with language and speech.

However, scientists have found that this gene can be presented in all mammals, because they have discovered a similar gene that controls other organs in their bodies, which is also presented in humans’ lungs and guts and in specific areas of their brains. What it is true is the fact that a genetic modification was needed to adapt biologically human beings for producing language, as in their phonological system as in their brains. Researchers have found that Neanderthals had that gene presented in their genetics but it has to produce several modifications during human evolution.

BEING OR BECOMING A TEACHER

Begining to study a Master after being seven years just working and adquiring experiences as a Foreign Language teacher in four different places, it is not an easy job. Indeed, it takes some time to adapt again to the normal rhythm of a person who wants to te succesful as a professional, as a worker, as a learner, as a student, as a mother ans also as a housekeeper. In spite of these big responsabilities, there is a deeply desire who makes me feel the need to progress in my professional development. for that reason, I posted the statement: "because beyond the dreams there are more realities to build"

A dream is something tangible in your mind  but invisible for the rest of the people. However, it is each step you give towards that dream who becomes it a reality. One of my main dreams (actually, I work for that every day, every class, every minute) is not just being a teacher or a good teacher but being an "amazing teacher" as the psychologist Augusto Cury (2003) says in his book "padres brillantes, maestros fascinantes" where he states that "There are not difficult guys but a wrong education for them" (2003)

Last friday night, we were reflecting about that in my linguistic class, professor inquired us about the importance of "being a teacher or becomming a teacher". Being a teacher is  just your label, the title that you got when you received your professional degree, where the possibilites for getting a job as a teacher are opened to all professionals. And I am refering to every professional who presents a national exam to provide jobs as a teacher and gets a score equal  or superior of 60 points; who can become a member of the public system. can it  be  possible?  can a test  measure if you are ready to be a teacher? can it increase or generate the love and motivation needed to deal with  this important job?  Is there a innate desire or talent for being a teacher? can every one of us to be a teacher?

However, some new proffesional become teachers because of the lack of oportunities to develop their careers. But becoming a teacher is growing up everyday as a professional of Education and as a human being.   It is that motivation who makes you feel worried about the problems of your school, your students and your community; the desire of helping those who want to follow their dreams and to engage those who don´t want just dream or think in their futures. For that reason, every day many students are sitting at their desks just trying to escape from their reality, others are bored and victims of traditional methods which surprisingly still exists.  Only few students have in mind seriously a project to drive their lives, while other teachers look at them without happiness, hope, confidence and expectations.