ESL Lesson Plan

What you did was correct. It was an an indirect correction which was incorporated in class participation. The students who gave wrong answers were not embarrased but they have to know the correct answer so that next time they will do it correctly given a similar situation.
The effective language teacher expects that errors will occur. Errors provide a source of diagnostic information about the learners language development. The teacher uses error as a way to measure language lerning and to adjust the lesson when necessary. With communication as the goal, the teacher focuses on the meaning rather than the form of the learner's language.
With accuracy as the goal, the teacher provides feedback or develops strategies for the learners to become aware of errors.

From Edna Falcis Salcedo, author " Communicative Learner-Centered-Instruction- A Guide to Teaching-Learning ESL/EFL and Literature through Activities"

Hi Edna!

Thanks so muh for your input. I don't always claim to be correct in my choices, and don't beleieve that anyone is 100% consistent...but, c'est la vie...

I love the way you view student error as opportunities for growth, rather than examples of failure! Beautiful!

Thanks for reading and posting!
Marlen

Well, I certainly agree with not embarrassing the students, but my main responsibility is to teach! So, I have to disagree with Marlin's "tiptoeing around their tender sensibilities" approach because
a) He doesn't make it clear that ALL the answers aren't correct.
b) "That's it, nice job!" addressed to NNES could mean different things, like "Class is over!"

I would handle Marlin's example like this:

Andreas: I have eating cake...?

Me: Okay (writing her answer on the board), everybody agree? No, Philippa?

Now I would write her incorrect answer on the board and go through the same process. Then I would write Alexi's answer and any other they came up with. I would try to get THEM to figure out the correct answer, but failing that would explain the rule to them (maybe for the umpteenth time).
In this way, no one is centered out as a dummy and even more have participated in coming to the right answer.

Hey Mike!

Excellent point - better to let the students decide together and keep the thinking wheels turning!

I think a lot depends on the culture of the classroom and likewise, I don't always have time to get to the board...but maybe I should!?!

Thanks for inspiring me, Mike! Looking forward to future posts!

Marlen

This is an issue that reaches deep into the classroom atmosphere the teacher creates. Students can learn only by making errors. This is their way of experimenting with the language. It is important therefore for the classroom to be seen as a supportive environment in which all the contributions a student makes are seen as useful to the learning process.

If the teacher is seen as the one who hands out parise or blame for correctness/incorrectness, this sets up a very different dynamic and can inhibit some students. It might be useful to try Marlen's approach in a more structured way so that the class is involved in deciding the best answer. You could collect several answers and write them on the board. Don't attach the name of the student to the answer. When you have a list of five or six, ask the class to choose the best one. If the correct answr is there, and they eventually choose it, see if they can work out why it is corrrect. if not, explain. If the right answer has not appeared. Ask them all to think again or to make suggestions for improving the answers.

This way the class is involved as a group and individuals do not have to feel embarrassed.

Hi Brenda!

Thanks so much for your comments. I like your ideas!

I guess what I was thinking of was those fast-paced moments in class when a student offers a wrong answer and rather than say "No" I like to thank them for their participation and elicit additional ideas.

However, you and Mike are emphasizing student autonomy by allowing them as a group to decide what the best answer is, rather than merely acting as passive listeners, receiveing the correct answer from the teacher.

I think we all have valuable input and I'm glad to see how Mike and Edna, along with you and I, have varying perspectives on this issue.

Thanks so much for sharing your ideas!

Warmly,
Marlen

I guess correcting is always a ticklish issue when it comes to language teaching. The most important thing is to make the student feel that he/she is not the only one who could have made that mistake and what's more, that it's a-okay to make mistakes in the process. Also the mistakes our students make can always be raw material for us to revise grammar points with the whole class, like what you did Marlen in the said situation. I usually try to get students to feedback on the point as a whole class activity. That way everyone can learn from the experience and nobody feels better than the others