The Importance of Error Correction in Foreign Language Learning

The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical and practical overview of different types of error correction, to discuss various factors affecting error correction in class, and to highlight the benefits of error correction. In contemporary language teaching, different types of error correction are implemented in the classroom: explicit and implicit techniques, oral and written correction, and non-verbal techniques such as gestures and facial expressions. According to the Noticing Hypothesis, proposed by Schmidt, corrective feedback becomes internalised input only when learners notice it, a point any foreign language teacher should keep in mind when correcting their learners (qtd. in Truscott 103). When choosing which type of feedback to implement, teachers should talk with their learners to see which method suits them best and also consider their individual differences, such as age, proficiency, attitude towards language learning, and motivation. In conclusion, there is no single right way of correcting learners’ errors. It is the teacher’s task to cultivate learners’ positive attitudes towards error correction and to find a method which a particular group of learners will accept and which will be optimal for the group