Errors and mistakes are common in the classroom and in education. And I’ve published many posts about them.

Today, educators share their strategies for handling errors made by students in their English-language-learner classes.

The Difference Between Mistakes and Errors

Michelle Makus Shory, Ed.D., is a career language educator who has taught grades K-12. She works at Seneca High School in Kentucky serving multilingual learners, their teachers, and their families. Shory is also an adjunct professor for local universities and co-creator of the website ELL 2.0:

In the English-language-learner classroom, when considering how to respond to an error, I think it’s essential first to decide if it is an error or a mistake.

A mistake might be a missing period, the wrong verb tense, or a misspelled word. Many times, multilingual learners make mistakes when they are writing quickly or speaking. Often, the learner has the relevant knowledge, but they were distracted or working quickly.

Errors, on other hand, come from a lack of knowledge and occur multiple times. For example, using the wrong word, mispronouncing a word, or using incorrect punctuation. I do not worry too much about mistakes (we all make them), but I do address errors.

Stephen Krashen’s theory of second-language acquisition reminds educators of the importance of the affective filter in acquiring a second language. If students feel comfortable and have minimal stress, there is a low affective filter, and language acquisition (learning) improves.

Conversely, if the affective filter is high, students feel stressed, which impairs their ability to comprehend and produce language. Knowing that error correction can lead to embarrassment and a higher affective filter, I am mindful of when and how I correct students’ errors.

Errors in Speaking

For errors in oral language, I often respond to the student, acknowledging that I fully understood the message but with a subtle recasting of what the student said, including the correct pronunciation or word. For example, if a student asks me where they can set in the classroom. Instead of saying, “Here,” I say, “You can sit over here.” This gentle recasting is often noted by the student, but does not lead to embarrassment.

I also consider the environment. If the student is alone, I might demonstrate the word’s correct form or pronunciation. However, if the student is speaking in front of peers in class, I use gentle recasting only.

I think it is essential to acknowledge errors in language because if we don’t, this can lead to fossilization. Fossilization occurs when incorrect language forms become fixed or permanent in a learner’s speech or writing. It is an error that has become a habit and is resistant to correction.

Errors in Writing

Errors in writing are a little different. Because the feedback is private, I’m more explicit with my corrections. However, I always acknowledge that I understood the message first. Then, I give the students some tips to improve that message.

I do not correct every error in a multilingual learner’s writing. Instead, I look for a theme in mistakes like punctuation and capitalization or subject-verb agreement. Then, I correct those mistakes and provide advice on how to correct those errors. I have found that verbal (or audio) feedback is more impactful than written feedback, so I use tools like Mote or Vocaroo to record short audio clips explaining the error.

Finally, sharing examples of sentences with common errors has been an effective practice in my classroom. We analyze sentences and look for glows (things done well) and grows (things we would improve). My students enjoy looking at these together and suggesting ideas for improvement.

Error correction is necessary because we want to help students grow; however, overcorrecting or embarrassing students can do more harm than good. It is essential first to consider the situation before correcting an error. Above all, acknowledging that a message has been understood is most important.

Accuracy or Fluency?

Gina Elia, Ph.D., teaches Mandarin Chinese at an independent high school near Fort Lauderdale, Florida:

I have experience as a teacher of both English kanguage learners and Mandarin language learners and as a writing tutor for English-proficient and ELL students.

In the field of ELL, there are two modes of correcting a student’s errors in speech that teachers switch back and forth between depending on their goals. When the point of the lesson is to teach for accuracy, the teacher corrects students’ oral mistakes as they make them.

When the goal of the lesson is for the student to make strides in fluency, however, the teacher hangs back from correcting, as this could reduce student confidence and stymie the development of fluid speaking. This ELL-specific approach to error correction offers a useful model for correction across disciplines.

Personally, in addition to ELL speaking, I use it when correcting ELL writing as well as English-proficient writing and Mandarin-language speaking and writing.

For example, if I want my ELL students to drill a particular grammar point in writing, I will explicitly correct every mistake they make related to that grammar point. Similarly, if I want my English-proficient students to improve the grammar and mechanics of their writing, I will pick an issue to focus on, such as spelling or comma or apostrophe use, and explicitly correct that issue in their work.

If, however, my goal in teaching either ELL or English-proficient students writing is to improve argumentation or organization, my comments will focus on these aspects of their writing rather than on grammatical or mechanical issues.

In these situations, if I do see patterns of error that are not related to the learning target, but which I feel the majority of the class could benefit from reviewing, I will go over them in class as a group rather than correcting every mistake that every student makes. I teach Mandarin-language acquisition classes as well and can affirm that this style of correction works with other kinds of language learners besides ELLs, too.

The idea of targeting the focus of correction for a particular assignment, lesson, or unit on its specific learning goals can be applied to other fields beyond language acquisition as well. For instance, teachers can focus feedback on how well students measure out their necessary materials in a science lab experiment or how critically they engage with secondary sources in a social science assignment.

If teachers correct in this targeted manner inspired by ELL pedagogy, then literally everything in their lesson and assessment design, even down to their correction style, builds toward the overall goal of their lesson or unit, while having the bonus effect of cutting down on their grading time. This feedback style creates coherency, which allows students to have a better sense of both what they are learning and why they are learning it.

Neuroplasticity

Françoise Thenoux is an accomplished educator and advocate with a career spanning nearly two decades. For more information about her work and resources, you can follow her on social media:

As a language teacher, I recognize that the traditional prescriptivist approach of pointing out mistakes can be not only a colonial practice but also a damaging one for students. This approach often prioritizes conformity over learning, which can stifle students’ willingness to take risks and engage deeply with the material. Instead, I focus on creating an environment where students feel comfortable making mistakes, understanding that errors are a natural and beneficial part of the learning process.

Emphasizing Neuroplasticity

One of the key strategies I use is teaching my students about neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. I explain how making mistakes and tackling challenges helps their brains grow stronger. This knowledge empowers students to view mistakes not as failures but as opportunities for growth and development.

Setting Students Up for Success

Creating an equitable learning environment is crucial for all students, including emergent bilinguals/multilinguals, neurodivergent students, and those dealing with anxiety. I establish rituals and routines that serve every student, such as:

• Mindfulness Practices: These help reduce stress and create a calm, focused learning environment.
• Brain Breaks: Short breaks during lessons to keep students engaged and prevent cognitive overload.
• Scaffolding: Providing structured support to help students gradually build their understanding and skills.
• Constructivist Approaches: Encouraging students to construct their own understanding through hands-on, collaborative learning activities.

Cultivating a Growth Mindset

Fostering a growth mindset is essential for helping students see mistakes as stepping stones rather than unmovable obstacles. I encourage metacognition—thinking about one’s own thinking—so students become aware of their learning processes and can reflect on their mistakes constructively. By emphasizing social-emotional learning and promoting a conscious, equity-informed growth mindset, I help students develop resilience and a positive attitude toward learning.

Humanizing the Learning Process

It’s important to humanize our students and focus on their overall growth rather than being fixated on errors. This approach counters the characteristics of white supremacy culture that emphasize perfectionism and the fear of making mistakes. Instead, I work with my students to set both their goals and my goals on growth and development. We use road maps to learning paths that provide clear, achievable steps, helping students see their progress over time.

Using Mistakes as Learning Opportunities

Rather than simply pointing out mistakes, I use them as opportunities for learning and growth. For example:

• Oral Work: When a student makes an error in speaking, I might recast their statement correctly within a natural conversation, allowing them to hear the correct form without feeling embarrassed. Alternatively, I might ask guiding questions that lead the student to self-correct.
• Written Work: For written errors, I provide feedback that encourages students to think critically about their work. Instead of marking everything as wrong, I highlight areas for improvement and ask questions that prompt students to revise and refine their work.

Equitable Feedback Practices

Feedback should be constructive and supportive, aimed at helping students improve while maintaining their confidence and motivation. I strive to provide feedback that is specific, actionable, and focused on growth. For example:

• Highlighting Strengths: Pointing out what students did well, alongside areas for improvement, helps build their confidence.
• Actionable Suggestions: Providing clear, specific suggestions for how students can improve gives them a concrete path forward.
• Encouraging Reflection: Asking students to reflect on their mistakes and think about how they can apply what they’ve learned in future tasks.

Supporting Mental Health

Incorporating practices that support mental health is vital for creating a positive learning environment. This includes promoting habits that help students manage stress and anxiety, such as regular mindfulness exercises and brain breaks. These practices not only improve students’ well-being but also enhance their ability to focus and learn effectively.

Thanks to Michelle, Gina, and Francoise for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s post answered this question:

How do you respond when students make errors in their work, whether orally or in writing, whether English-language learner or English-proficient, in any subject?

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org. When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

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