Teaching Grammar Communicatively MOOC

Module 5 – Correcting Errors and Giving Feedback

Table of Contents
Module 5 Overview......................................................................................................................... 2
Getting Started................................................................................................................................ 3
Module 5, Task 1: The Teacher’s Dilemma ................................................................................. 4
Module 5, Task 2: Survey ............................................................................................................ 5
Correcting Errors and Giving Feedback .......................................................................................... 5
Module 5, Task 3: What Kind of Error Correction Works? ......................................................... 6
Module 5, Task 4: Quiz 1 ............................................................................................................. 8
Module 5, Task 5: What Kind of Error Correction Works? ......................................................... 9
Error Correction Techniques Presentation Slides ..................................................................... 10
Module 5, Task 6: OPTIONAL – Discussion ............................................................................... 13
Review ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Module 5, Task 7: Quiz 2 ........................................................................................................... 14
Module 5, Task 8: OPTIONAL – Reflection ................................................................................ 14
Correcting Errors to Support Student Learning Presentation Slides ........................................ 17
Final Tasks ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Module 5, Task 10: End-of-Course Implementation Task ........................................................ 19
Module 5, Task 11: End-of-Course Quiz ................................................................................... 30
Module 5, Task 12: Post-Course Survey ................................................................................... 30

© 2020 by World Learning. TGC MOOC Module 5 Packet for the AE E-Teacher Program, sponsored by the U.S.
Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. government, and administered by FHI 360. This work is
licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, except where noted. To view a copy of this license,
visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Module 5 Overview
Correcting errors is an integral part of teaching, but teachers are often unsure how to treat students’
mistakes. If they correct too often or too much, students may get discouraged and lose confidence and
motivation. If they let errors go uncorrected, students may never learn how to speak or write correctly.

In Module 5, we will look closely at various error correction strategies, point out their advantages and
disadvantages, and discuss how we can help our students notice their own mistakes and encourage self-
correction.

Since this week is also the closing week of the course, you will also look back at what you learned and
start planning how you may implement some of the course ideas in your daily practice.

Learning objectives:
By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• identify types of errors students make

• evaluate from a practical perspective the suitability if error correction techniques for different
teaching contexts
• use appropriately a range of error correction techniques
• give clear feedback.

Below are the tasks you need to complete in Module 5 with the recommended time as a guide. These
time guidelines are only approximate: you may find that you spend longer or shorter on some tasks,
depending on your experience with and interest in the topic.

Recommended module dates: June 8 – June 14, 2020

Getting started

Task 1: The Teacher’s Dilemma. Watch a World Learning teacher

trainer talking about how teachers feel about error correction.
(10 minutes)

Task 2: Complete a brief survey on your teaching practice. (10

minutes)

Correcting errors and giving feedback

Task 3: Read the Canvas page “What kind of error correction

works? How do we know?”. (50 minutes)

Task 4: Take Canvas Quiz 1 to check your understanding of core

concepts related to error correction. (20 minutes) "Proofreading marks example" by volkspider
via Flickr is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Task 5: Watch the video "Advantages and disadvantages of different error correction techniques". (45
minutes)

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Task 6: OPTIONAL: Respond to discussion questions in the discussion forum. (30 minutes)

Review

Task 7: Take Canvas Quiz 2 to check your understanding of error correction. (20 minutes)

Task 8: Reflect on Module 5. (20 minutes)

Task 9: Module 5 Summary. (20 minutes)

Final tasks

Task 10: Select an end-of-course implementation task. (30 minutes)

Task 11: End-of-course quiz. (30 minutes)

Task 12: Complete the post-course survey. (30 minutes)

Getting Started

In this section, we will introduce key themes that will be explored in Module 5.

“Light bulb” by Firkin via Openclipart is licensed under CC0

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Module 5, Task 1: The Teacher’s Dilemma

Watch a World Learning teacher trainer talking about how teachers feel about error
correction.

“Jo Kennedy” via The Teacher’s Dilemma video for World Learning is licensed under CC
BY 4.0

[The video can be viewed online. The transcript is provided below.]

Transcript:
Hello. My name is Jo Kennedy and I’m a teacher trainer with World Learning. I’ve trained teachers all
over the world, and one of the things I’ve come to realize is that many teachers dread error correction.
Indeed, I think they dread correcting students’ errors as much as many students dread being corrected.
But a very important part of every teacher’s job is correcting errors and helping students improve their
language. But teachers are often unsure of what to do with students’ mistakes. If teachers correct too
often, the students may lose motivation and feel discouraged, and the teacher may become very
unpopular. If teachers let errors go uncorrected, in some countries they may lose respect, and, more
importantly, when they’re not corrected, students may never learn how to speak or write correctly. To
make things even more complicated, student preferences also differ - some students like to be
corrected all the time; others don’t want to be corrected at all because it makes them lose confidence
and lose motivation. So, is there a middle ground between excessive correction and a complete absence
of it? How can teachers turn error correction moments into learning opportunities? Module 5 articles,
videos, tasks and quizzes will help you find answers to these questions.

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Module 5, Task 2: Survey

What do you think about error correction? Please complete this brief survey (three
questions) about your teaching practice. The survey will not be graded, but it will help
you reflect on your current error correction practices. You may only complete this
survey once.

<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

Correcting Errors and Giving Feedback

In this section, we will discuss why students make mistakes, find

out more about types of errors that students make, analyze error
correction strategies, and explore pros and cons of various error
correction techniques.

“Untitled” by Open Clipart-Vectors via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

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Module 5, Task 3: What Kind of Error Correction Works?

Does error correction help students improve fluency and accuracy? Should teachers
correct every grammar mistake students make when using English? As we learned
in Module 1, different grammar teaching approaches advocated for different error
correction policies, ranging from “errors should not be tolerated” to “explicit error
correction is not helpful.” Nowadays, most practitioners and researchers seem to agree
that correcting grammar errors in a supportive way is of value, but that the effect of error correction
may be impacted by contextual factors and individual differences (Ur, P. 2012; Russell, J., Spada, N.
2006).

In this task, you will examine research findings

on error correction, read about error
correction strategies, and reflect on what
correction techniques may work for your
students.

Teachers know that making mistakes is an

integral part of learning. They also know that
students can learn from their mistakes. What
is less clear to teachers is what needs to be
done to make this learning happen. What kind
of error correction works in the language
classroom?
"Untitled" by 3844328 via Pixabay is licensed under CC0

In order to answer this question, we should

start by establishing why students make mistakes. In his book “Mistakes and Correction”, Julian Edge
suggests that students make mistakes for four particular reasons. In the first place, the student’s native
language may ‘interfere’ with English and produce errors. Secondly, students make mistakes because
they have learned a rule but use it too widely, that is, ‘overgeneralize’ the rule. These ‘developmental’
mistakes are part of the learning process. Students sometimes make mistakes almost deliberately
because they want get their message across, correctly or incorrectly. They may also make mistakes
when they are in a hurry.

The author categorizes student mistakes into the following types: slips, errors and attempts.

Slips are smaller mistakes which a student can correct by him/herself if someone (the teacher or peer)
draws their attention to them. For example, forgetting to add 's' to verbs with a third person singular
subject (Example: He speak Chinese) is a frequent slip of English learners.

Errors happen when a student finds it hard to self-correct, but there may be other students in the group
who can help with the correct version. (If no one in the group can correct the error, it is time to re-teach
the language point!)

Attempts are the result of a student trying to say something beyond their language level at their stage
of learning. Students have not learned a particular grammar rule in their course, but attempt to use it.

Julian Edge reminds us about the importance of selective and meaningful response to student errors.
Not every mistake needs to be corrected, and it is the teacher who makes the decision whether and

6
when to correct. If we change the term 'error correction' to 'language feedback', then the nature of the
corrective intervention changes: the purpose of giving language feedback is to improve learner
performance. Effective feedback provides constructive advice, and guidance to learners in their effort to
improve their performance levels.

Diane J. Tedick refers to the same process as 'error treatment' and offers several types of corrective
feedback to learners. Let's look at them more closely.

Feedback Description Example

The teacher indicates that a student made a mistake and S: He speak Chinese.
Explicit correction
offers the correct answer. T: He speaks Chinese.
The teacher does not directly say that the student made a S: He speak Chinese.
Recast mistake, but provides the correct answer, or simply re- T: Yes, he speaks
casts/re-formulates what the students said. Chinese and Japanese.
The teacher signals that the message was not clear and S: He speak Chinese.
Clarification
that there was a mistake to encourage the student to T: Pardon?
request
self-correct. S: He speaks Chinese.
The teacher does not offer the correct answer but asks S: He speak Chinese.
Metalinguistic
questions to help the student see that there was a T: 3rd person '-S'
clues
mistake (gives comments or information). S: He speaks Chinese.
The teacher elicits the correct form from the student. Can
S: He speak Chinese.
be done by pausing and allowing the student to complete
Elicitation T: Say it again please.
a sentence the teacher started, or by asking them to
S: He speaks Chinese.
reformulate what they were saying.
S: He speak Chinese.
The teacher repeats the student’s mistake but changes
Repetition T: He speak Chinese?
his/her intonation to signal that something was wrong.
S: He speaks Chinese.

Which errors should be corrected? When should they be corrected – immediately or later? Who should
correct errors – the teacher, the student who made the error, or other students?

Here is a list of questions that can help the teacher determine when it is appropriate to correct a
student’s errors:

1. Does the mistake affect communication?

2. Are we concentrating on accuracy at the moment?
3. Why did the student make the mistake?
4. Is it something the students have already learned?
5. Is this a mistake that several students are making?

Timely and appropriate corrective feedback can help learners reduce their errors, improve their
performance and significantly increase their motivation.

References

7
Edge, J1. (1989) Mistakes and Correction. Harlow: Pearson.

Edge, J., et. al2. (2000) “When and how should I correct my students?”
http://www.eltnews.com/columns/thinktank/2000/05/when_and_how_should_i_correct.html
Accessed on 15 December 2016.

Russell, J., Spada, N.3 (2006) The effectiveness of corrective feedback for the acquisition of L2 grammar.
In: Norris, J., Ortega, L. Synthesizing Research on Language Teaching and Learning. Amsterdam: John
Benjamins, 133-164.

Tedick, D. J4. (1998) “Research on Error Correction and Implications for Classroom Teaching”. In: The
Bridge, From Research to Practice, University of Minnesota
http://carla.umn.edu/immersion/acie/vol1/Bridge1.3.pdf Accessed on 15 December 2016.

Ur, P5. (2012) "Error Correction". In: A Course in English Language Teaching, Cambridge, CUP, 88-90.
1,2,3,4,5
This content is copyrighted, and cannot be adapted in any way, or distributed after the end of this course. It is not Public Domain or
Creative Commons-licensed, and therefore not for public use. Please do not save a copy for your personal use, and do not use it after the
course ends

To cite this page:

World Learning. (2019). What Kind of Error Correction Works? In “Teaching Grammar Communicatively”
[MOOC].

Module 5, Task 4: Quiz 1

This is a REQUIRED task.

This quiz will test your understanding of core concepts related to error
correction. You can take this quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the
feedback after you submit your answers. Please note that you must score at least
7/10 to move on in the module. Good luck!

<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

“Question mark” by
Gina Asalon is licensed
under CC BY 4.0

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Module 5, Task 5: What Kind of Error Correction Works?

What kind of error correction works? How do we know?

There is no one best method of error correction for all students and all occasions. As a
teacher, you have to consider many factors before deciding when and how to correct your students’
mistakes. In this task, you will learn about advantages and disadvantages of several error correction
techniques and then use this knowledge to match the classroom situations in which students make
mistakes with the most appropriate correction strategies listed.

[The video can be viewed online. The presentation slides are provided below.]

Focus on the analyses discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.

9
Error Correction Techniques Presentation Slides

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11
12
Module 5, Task 6: OPTIONAL – Discussion

OPTIONAL: Discussion – Error correction in my classroom

Think about the following

questions:

• What error correction techniques would

work for your students? Why?
• What error corrections wouldn't work for
your students? Why do you say so?

Post your responses in the discussion forum

below.

REMINDER: This task is OPTIONAL, and it is

NOT assessed, which means that it does not
count toward your final grade. It is included in "Untitled" by NeONBRAND via Unsplash is licensed under CC0
all modules as an additional challenge for
those who want to learn more. We encourage you to accept the challenge!

<<This task can only be completed online.>>

Review

Welcome to the Review Section!

This is an opportunity to bring the various aspects of this week together:

• A quiz is provided to guide self-assessment to support your learning.

• Reflection questions and Module Summary will help you synthesize
the Module content and consider its relevance for your teaching
context.

“Magnifying glass” by Gina Asalon is licensed under CC BY 4.0

13
Module 5, Task 7: Quiz 2

This is a REQUIRED task

Match the classroom situations in which students make mistakes with the most
appropriate correction strategies listed.

You can take this quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback after
you submit your answers. Please note that you must score at least 7/10 to move on
in the module. Good luck!

“Question mark” by
Gina Asalon is licensed
under CC BY 4.0 <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

Module 5, Task 8: OPTIONAL – Reflection

Reflect on Module 5
In Module 5, we explored how
different error correction strategies
may help students improve their accuracy and
fluency.

Think about what you learned about correcting

errors and giving feedback. Complete the following
sentences in your journal (you will not submit this
reflection through Canvas). Be as practical and
specific as you can.
"Untitled" by StartupStockPhotos via Pixabay is licensed
a. Teachers can correct students in different under CC0
ways according to the type of tasks which they
do, for example ...
b. Teachers should interrupt learners when they make a mistake or error when ...
c. I have learned the following about giving feedback to students ...

REMINDER: This task is OPTIONAL, and it is NOT assessed, which means that it does not count toward

14
Module 5, Task 9: Summary

Congratulations on the successful completion of Module 5!

Watch the video summarizing the main themes discussed in Module 5.

[The video can be viewed online. The transcript is provided below.]

Transcript:
Correcting errors to support student learning

In the last week of the course, we explored how to correct student errors and give them feedback. In
particular, we focused on error correction techniques and discussed which student errors should be
corrected, when they should be corrected, how they can be corrected and who can do the correcting.

Here’s a brief summary of the key points made in Module 5:

• The main purpose of error correction is to help students notice the gap in their knowledge, or
between their knowledge and imperfect performance.
• The ultimate aim of feedback is to facilitate student learning and help them improve their
proficiency.
• Error correction is complex! Many decisions (whether to correct a mistake, when and how to
correct it), have to be made in a split second.
• Teachers’ decisions about what to correct, how, and when will differ. They have to take into
consideration not only whether the error in question interfered in communication and/or was the
focus of the lesson, but also student preferences, their feelings, the local culture, etc.

What can teachers do to turn error correction moments into learning opportunities? Here are some
suggestions:

• Make sure that your negative feedback is accompanied by a positive emotional message. In other
words, you correct the language, not a person. Sometimes this is not easy to achieve because it
may go against students’ /parents’ /school’s expectations, norms and roles established long ago.
But it is doable!
• Foster a supportive classroom culture: students have to believe that we are all allies united on the
same front. They have to know that it is OK to make mistakes, and they can learn from them
• Involve students in self- and peer-correction. If they have never done this before, they probably
need to be trained how to do this.
• Help students to get rid of their errors! Error correction is only a first step which needs to be
followed and supported by practice opportunities, and, if necessary, re-teaching. Students have
to use the language in order to learn it.
• Vary your error correction techniques. If you use a couple of error correction techniques all the
time, you limit their effectiveness. In a typical class, some combination of teacher-to-student,
self-correction, and peer-to-peer correction provides the most benefit.
• Don’t forget that feedback also includes praising students for their success.

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 • When planning a lesson, spend some time carefully thinking about how to and when to treat
mistakes that may come up. Think of your students so you can anticipate their needs and
responses.

We hope that Module 5 tasks, materials and discussions have expanded your thinking and actions in
treating mistakes in your classes.

16
Correcting Errors to Support Student Learning Presentation Slides

17
18
Final Tasks

In the last section of the course, we provide some additional

materials for your further professional development. We also invite
you to complete three tasks: think how you can implement course
ideas in your teaching practice, do a quiz and complete a post-course
survey.

"Untitled" by Markus Spiske via

Unsplash is licensed under CC0

Module 5, Task 10: End-of-Course Implementation Task

At the end of the course, we would like to share some additional materials with you
which we hope will help you review the course content and implement some of the
ideas in your daily practice:

A – Planning for memorable grammar encounters

(a sample lesson plan and evaluation rubric)

B - Integrating grammar and skills teaching (a

sample lesson plan and evaluation rubric)

C – Task-based grammar teaching (a sample lesson

plan and evaluation rubric)

D – Creative error correction ideas (an article from

English Language Teaching Forum)

Teachers learn best in practice and from practice;

therefore, we do encourage you to take the next
step and try some of these teaching ideas with
"Untitled" by SerenaWong via Pixabay is licensed under CC0
your students. We know you are up to that
challenge!

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Here are some suggestions on how you can use these materials:

• Teach them to your students in their current form and reflect on what has happened.
• Modify them using the SARS approach, teach them to your students, and reflect on what has
happened.
• Prepare original lesson plans, use the provided evaluation rubrics to evaluate them, teach these
lessons to your students, and reflect on what has happened.
• Share the course materials with your colleagues and make them interested in teaching grammar
communicatively.

What do you think you may do? Select one idea that you think will be most beneficial in your context
and plan how you will implement it. Outline an action plan in your journal.

**PLEASE NOTE this assignment will not be submitted through Canvas.**

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 Option A – Sample Plan

Topic: Technology Level: B1

Type of Class: Speaking /Grammar
Target grammar item: Can you tell me…? / Do you know…? /Do you have any idea…? / I wonder… / Can you
remember…? / I’d like to know… / Can you guess…?
Lesson objective: By the end of the lesson students will be able to express opinions about electronics and ask
questions using indirect structures.

Stage Time Activity

Electronic gadgets
1. Teacher shows some pictures of people using different electronic gadgets and asks
questions using indirect structures like: “Do you know what the little boy is doing?”,
“Do you think he is in his bedroom?”, “Can you tell me what gadget the girl is using
to listen to music?”, “Could you say where she is?”, “Do you have any idea if the
person who is taking in the picture is a man or a woman?”, “Do you this this couple
is happy?”, “Can you imagine why the man is using the GPS?”, “Do you think he is
lost?”
2. Teacher shows a photo of his friend Ben who wants to buy a new computer but he
can’t decide what to buy. Students listen to the conversation between Ben and his
friends and write suggestions that Ben’s friends give. After that, students give their
own suggestions to Ben. They share their answers with the class.
Indirect questions
Presentation
1. Teacher asks students to work individually and write questions they would ask a
technician /friend /parent if they had any tech problem at home. After that,
students compare questions and see if they have anything in common.
2. Teacher asks some students to share their questions and writes them in the target
language on the board. Using the sentences provided by students, teacher starts
explaining the use of indirect questions by asking questions like “What differences
do you notice between A’s question and the one on the board?”, “Do they have
the same meaning?”, “What additional words did I use to build the question that
were not in A’s question?”.
3. Teacher asks students to complete some sentences in the book which are about the
conversation they listened to before so that they can figure out the structure and
check how much they have understood. Students share their responses in pairs;
teacher checks responses with the whole group.

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Guided Game – Unscramble the sentences
practice Students work in pairs or groups of three. Teacher gives them a handout with scrambled
indirect questions. Students unscramble the questions. The pair /groups with the largest
number of correct sentences wins.
Game - Making Indirect Questions
1. Students are divided into pairs /groups of 3.
2. Teacher reads a direct question and the groups have to transform it into an indirect
question. They write their response on a large piece of paper and display it. The group
who finishes first and has a correct answer gets two points; other groups who have
correct answers get one point. The group with the highest score wins.

Free Interview
practice 1. Students are divided into pairs /groups of 3.
2. They role play a conversation in which one of the students is the person who has a tech
problem and others have to provide help. Students practice their conversation
3. Some groups are asked to present their conversation to the entire group.

Rubric for Grammar Lesson Plan

Does not meet criteria Approaches criteria Meets criteria

Target grammar item is Target grammar item is

Target grammar item is
presented in context and presented in context,
only explained and no
Presentation explained, but the illustrative examples
examples are given OR
Component explanation /example /situation are effective,
examples are not
ratio is not quite explanations are brief,
contextualized at all.
balanced. concise and effective.

Required practice
All required practice
components are Not all required practice
Guided components are
minimally included and components are included.
practice included and are
/or are minimally suitable Restricted practice
component suitable for the context
for the context and activities are included.
and lesson objectives.
lesson objective.

Students have at least

Students are informally one well-planned
Semi-guided or Only mechanical practice invited to use the target opportunity to use the
free practice is included. item to talk about target item to talk about
themselves. themselves and /or
express their own ideas.

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 Option B – Sample Plan

TOPIC: electric power transmission LEVEL: Intermediate Time: 120 minutes

systems
Target language: Vocabulary – current generators, alternating current, direct current,
generating station, transmission station, transmission lines, substation
Grammar – using the Present Simple to describe processes
Skill in focus: Listening

Secondary skill focus: Writing, speaking

Lesson objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to use target vocabulary to
explain how electric power is transmitted

Timing Staging Interaction

10 Ask students: How do we get electrical energy? How does electric T-Ss
power reach our homes?
Elicit what students know.
Show them the picture (Appendix 1), check if they know the words
(energy transmission, current, station). Pre-teach these words if
needed. Ask students to look at the picture and explain to each other
how electrical energy is transmitted. Write down any language S-S
mistakes they make

5 Ask students: Who invented electric power transmission? Who T-S

patented it?
Elicit what they know.
Tell them they are going to watch a short video clip about “The War
of the Currents.”

10 Students work in groups of four. Each group gets slips of paper with S-S-S-S
key words and phrases (Use Appendix 2 and photocopy enough
copies for small groups of students. Cut the paper up so there is one
key word or phrase on each slip).
Tell students the phrases are taken from the video clip they are going
to watch. Give students time to read the words and help each other
understand them. They can ask you for help and use online
dictionaries /google translators (if they have mobile phones).

10 Tell students in each group to share out the slips. While they listen S-S-S-S
and watch the clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEJNJ0rFSe8
they must place the key words in the order in which they hear them.
They may hear some words twice but they place the card the first
time they hear a word.
10 Let them send a ‘spy’ to the other groups to compare their order. S-S-S-S
Play the clip again.

23
10 In their groups they use their ordered key words to help them write S-S-S-S
the text from memory. This does not have to be word for word as the
original.
5 Play the video clip again.
5 Give students time to edit their texts. S-S-S-S
10 Look at the texts and select correct sentences with the Present T-s
Simple Tense used to describe processes. Put them on the board and
elicit from students meaning and use of the Present Simple in these
examples. Give explanations.
Ask students to go over their texts again and underline the Present
Simple. Go over the texts again and correct mistakes if necessary.

10 Students work on their own and use Appendix 1 to write sentences S

explaining how electric power is transmitted. They have 3 minutes to
complete the task. The student with the largest number of correct
sentences is the winner.

20 Students work in small groups. They prepare a three-minute TED talk S-S
about the war of the currents.
Groups give their talks (they can also use smart phones to record
themselves).
Teacher writes down what they say and gives feedback at the end of
the presentations.

Exit cards. Students write what they learned in the lesson and what
5 they would like to improve.

Appendix 1

Appendix 2

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KEY WORDS AND PHRASES

Eccentric child
Bug-powered motor
Generate electricity
Arrived in the USA
Hired
Redesign the direct current generators
To make improvements
Alternating current
Monopoly
Electrocute an elephant
House fire
Maximum reach
Substations
Bright white lights
Patents
Neon lights
Inventor of the century

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 Option C – Sample Plan

Type of Class: Teenagers 16-17 Level: Pre-

Topic: What should be do with our trash? intermediate
Target grammar item: Expressing plans and intention

Stage Time Activity

Introduction to topic and task 10 What do you think when you see this?
Take 3-4 pictures of local streets or parks and /or sites
littered with garbage. Ask students what the problem is,
how they feel and what they think when see sites like
these, and what they think they can do.

Teacher writes key vocabulary and students’ suggestions

on the board.

Teacher tells students that the problem of pollution is huge

and that they have to prepare a project on what they can
do to make their environment cleaner.
Task 10 Students watch the video “Keep our schools clean”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdvWinbH7Pc.
Teacher asks students to say which idea or suggestion they
liked best and explain why this is the case.
Planning 15 Students work in groups. They have to prepare a project to
make either their school or neighborhood clean. They
prepare a poster illustrating their plans. Teacher offers
language support if needed.
Report 15 Students display their posters. A group representative
presents the project to the rest of the group. Students
comment on the presentations, ask questions and give
suggestions.
Analysis 10 Teacher asks students to look at the poster and identify the
structures used to express plans and intention. She revises
the difference between going to and will.
Practice 15 Teacher asks students to use the feedback they received
and revise their projects.
Students report to the group what they have changed in
their projects.
Evaluation and reflection 5 Students write down on a piece of paper one thing they
liked about the lesson and one thing they are not sure
about.

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Rubric for Task-Based Grammar Lesson Plan

Does not
Meets criteria Approaches criteria
meet criteria
Lesson plan does not
Lesson plan contains all Lesson plan does not
contain all TBTL
TBTL components; contain TBTL components;
Structure components are well
components; and /or
and /or components are not
components are not
balanced. balanced.
completely balanced.
Topic is
Topic is sufficiently somewhat explored; Topic is not sufficiently
explored; students have and/or students have explored; and /or students
Pre-task enough opportunities to some, but not are not sufficiently prepared
prepare for the task. sufficient, opportunities to for the task.
prepare for the task.
It is not completely clear
what roles students have;
Students’ roles are unclear;
Students have clear roles; and /or they do not have
time for planning, practicing
they have enough time for sufficient time for
and reporting is not
planning, practicing and planning, practicing and
Task reporting; selected task(s) reporting; selected task(s)
balanced; selected task(s)
are not age appropriate and
are age appropriate and are somewhat age
do not include critical
include critical thinking. appropriate and /or do
thinking.
not include critical
thinking.
Grammar focus is
included, but is not
Grammar focus is included,
organically integrated in
Grammar focus is but is completely teacher-
TBTL; students are not
included; students centered; students are not
actively engaged in
examine and discuss the engaged in examining and
Post-task target grammar feature;
examining and
discussing the target
discussing the target
teacher conducts practice grammar feature; practice
grammar feature; teacher
of target patterns. of target patterns is
conducts some, but not
mechanical.
sufficient, practice of
target patterns.
The lesson has one or
The lesson has an activity
more activities that could
that a) explicitly assesses
be used to assess learners’ The lesson does not provide
learners’ achievement of
achievement of the lesson any way to assess learners’
Evaluation the lesson objective and
objective and one or more achievement of the lesson
b) matches the language
of these somewhat objective.
proficiency focus of the
matches the proficiency
objective.
focus of the lesson.

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 Option D – Creative Error Correction Ideas

Looking for Ideas about Error Correction? Try One of These!

By: Margaret Lopez

"She scream, he scream, and then I scream!" Omission of the third-person singular "s" is an error that
drives all ESL/EFL teachers insane, along with all those other "little" errors we see committed
repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, whether we teach in Asia, Africa, the Americas or on another
continent. What is the best way to correct students' errors? The answers are as varied as teaching styles
and teachers' personalities. Each of us must find, experiment with, and then choose the methods that
work best for our students. The following are a few suggestions.

Sign language
Develop a signal with your students that tells them to stop, reflect on the error made, and self-correct
before continuing with their speaking. Karin B. Larsen, an ESL/Spanish teacher in Copenhagen, suggests
to simply raise an index finger silently in the air, as if about to interrupt or make a point. This method
may be particularly appropriate for the omission of the third-person singular "s."

Speaking
Eavesdropping
While students are working in groups or pairs, circulate and note mistakes heard (write as much context
as possible). Then at the end of that class or any other time, write the sentences on the board to be
corrected as a class discussion. Variation 1: Have the students correct the mistakes in small groups and
compare their answers with other small groups. Variation 2: Have each small group work on two or
three sentences, and then present and explain their corrections to the class. Variation 3: Make a
worksheet from the mistakes to be used in any of the above ways or given as homework.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

In this exercise, the teacher transforms herself or himself from the understanding EFL teacher to the
typical person on the street with whom the students will be required to communicate, as if using their
English outside the classroom. The teacher should ask a lot of questions like, "What? I didn't
understand what you meant" or, "I'm sorry, I can't understand what you're saying." Also, ask
other students, "Do you understand what she or he said?" The idea is to replicate a native
speaker's possible response or confusion to show the students what is really important to express
clearly (e.g., tenses).

Fishbowl
One part of the class is grouped into the center of the room for a discussion while the remaining
students sit around them and listen silently to the discussion, noting any mistakes they hear. After 10 or
15 minutes, the listeners put a summary of the mistakes on the board for class correction. Then switch
roles and repeat so all the students get to perform both tasks. The discussion group shouldn't have more
than five or six students. Variation 1: If a hand-held recorder or microphone is available and the students
are conscientious about using it effectively, one group can play both roles for themselves.

Finger coding

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Use one hand to point to the fingers on your other hand to indicate the words of a sentence or a
question. Stop on or wiggle the finger when a mistake has been made to focus the students' attention
there. This is good for correcting word order, missing words, subject-verb agreement, and wrong word
choice. The teacher prompts the students' self-correction.

Switcheroo
Crisscross fingers, hands, or be dramatic and go for the whole arm to show when the order of two words
should be reversed. Stay silent. This is especially good for adjective/noun placement and question
formation.

Sign Language
Use large pieces of brightly colored paper. Put a big "S" on one to correct third-person singular mistakes.
On another piece, write the word "to" but crossed out with a big X to correct the wrong use of "to" with
infinitive. Hold the signs up as needed.

Caught on tape
Record the students' presentations and point out problematic areas and words. For advanced levels,
give a written evaluation or have the students do it for their classmates.

Silent Way style

When students make mistakes, give them a directive to correct the error without giving them the
correction itself. For example, say things like, "Change the pronunciation," "Change the verb," or
"Change the third word."

Writing
Peer correction of first drafts may include underlining any problems, adding written comments at the
end of an essay about clarity, or suggesting improvements (depending on level of class). This may also
be followed by pair discussion about mistakes found. This works well as a preliminary to first draft self-
editing by the students. This can be done in pairs working on one individual's paper, in pairs working on
a pair-written paper, or individually working on an individual's paper.

Conclusion
Variety is the spice of life, and necessity is the mother of invention. Proverbs are cliches, but we all know
them because they ring true. Different correction methods may be appropriate for different student
groups and in varying circumstances. Be flexible and correct.

Reference

Lopez, M. 1996. Presentation on Error Correction at the AII-ALC TEFL Conference. Marrakech, Morocco.

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Module 5, Task 11: End-of-Course Quiz

This is a REQUIRED task.

This quiz contains questions related to Modules 1-5.

You can take this quiz as many times as you like. Be sure to read the feedback
after you submit your answers. Please note that you must score at least 7/10 to
move on in the module. Good luck!

“Question mark” by
Gina Asalon is licensed
under CC BY 4.0 <<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

Module 5, Task 12: Post-Course Survey

Post-course Survey
This is an OPTIONAL task.
This is a questionnaire to find out about your experience in this
course. We would really appreciate if you could complete it; it
contains only ten brief questions. Please note: you may only
complete this survey once. Thank you very much for your time!

"Untitled" by Luca Upper via Unsplash

is licensed under CC0
<<This diagnostic can only be completed online.>>

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