Didaktika cizích jazyků - přednášky

Error correction, providing feedback

Different approaches to the nature and function of feedback:

• What is feedback?

  • Information given to the learner about his performance of a learning task (objective – improvement)

• Forms of feedback

  • Different (´Yes, right!´, a grade of 70 % at an exam, raised eyebrow, etc.);

• Feedback – 2 distinguishable components: assessment and correction

Assessment:

• The learner is informed about how well or badly he performed (e.g. a percentage grade)

Correction:

• Specific information is provided on aspects of the learner´s performance (e.g. through explanation, providing better alternatives);

• Correction should include information on what the learner did right, as well as wrong, and why !

Is it possible to keep assessment and correction separate?

• Yes, it is possible to give assessment without correcting (marking) without the text being returned or commented on.

• It is impossible to comment on what is right or wrong without doing some kind of assessment.

• A meaningful feedback should include both components; some judgement should be involved, but try to make the attitude to mistakes positive: mistakes are a natural and useful part of language learning; when the teacher gives feedback on them, the purpose is to help and promote learning – the way to ´getting things right´

• In other words, our evaluation should be primarily formative = bringing about improvement (to FORM = to enhance x to CONCLUDE)

• Summative evaluation

  • The Teacher´s evaluation – an overall of the Learner´s knowledge to summarize the situation, i.e. how proficient he or she is at a certain point in time, or, how much he or she has progressed during a particular time period. (Summative evaluation may contribute little to the learning process, but is also needed)

Errors and mistakes

Errors

• Are unacceptable forms which the students regularly make because they do not know the rules or have internalized them wrongly.

Mistakes

• Are slips which students could in fact have avoided with little or more thought.

Types of mistakes

1. ´slips´ (slips of the tongue) – mistakes which students/pupils can correct themselves

2. ´errors´ - mistakes which they cannot correct themselves, and which therefore need explanation

3. ´attempts´- a pupil tries to say something but does not yet know the correct way of saying it.

2 basic causes for errors

L1 interference – influence of the mother tongue on the target language acquisition - concerning the phonological systems of L1 and L2, the lexicon, grammar

Developmental errors – occurring with the FL learner as well as children learning their MT (e.g. *They comed; *He goed)

Assessing student performance

Teacher assessing students

• Explicit –e.g. That was really good.

• Implicit -e.g. during a drill we pass on to the next student without making any comments or correction

• Praising

• Comments – good, not quite right

• Marks and grades

• Reports

Students assessing themselves

Feedback during oral work