Bad English Error Correction Activity

• What is it?
  • Students point out errors in the English around them through published example (newspapers, signs, etc) or samples from their own papers.

• Who is it good for?
  • Beginning to advanced level students (see adaptations)

• Materials
  • Power point of signs up on board/ screen, signs are numbered
  • Students each have corresponding worksheets that are also numbered, each sign’s English on paper, three questions underneath
    1. What do you think the sign was trying to say?
    2. Why/ how do you know? Explain what you think the context is.
    3. How would you correct it? Re-write it.
  • One example as class to start
  • Small groups meet next (depending on the class size), have them agree on a re-write out  of each sentence in each groups
  • Share group responses as a class, discuss over-arching themes, ex: all mistakes were in articles, use of past tense, auxiliary verbs etc. Teacher facilitated discussion also allows students to go back and pin point why they’re making certain mistakes (as listed in question 1 & 2).

• Expansions
  • Signs from internet, newspaper headings
  • Can uses student’s own work as material for correction (advanced students, after work has already been handed in). Make sure if this is done, particularly shy or self-conscious students are should not be selected for “bad” examples either at all or without good ones too. You could also use non-specific examples from patterns of errors that you notice.

• Why Use it?
  • Boosts student’s confidence shows students that while they may not be able to produce that they can still recognize correct English. This is why this activity is good for beginners, because beginners might not be able to produce just yet. This helps cut down on the “I’m bad at English” attitude that can pop up in unconfident students.
  • B y having students correct their own work, you help them recognize areas of strength and weakness in their own work. This helps give students a strategy for success in your class and others.
  • Shows students that everyone makes mistakes, even native speakers. Helps bring up the discussion between how language is taught (prescriptivism) vs how it’s actually used (descriptivism). This activity allows students to see that there are multiple ways to correct the same sentence.
  • Lowers affective filter

The pedagogical trade fair was a really incredible experience. Everyone was so excited to share what they had created, and it was especially nice to have faculty members from different departments come and see our work.

My main take away from the experience is that, first of all, there are so many different ways to teach. We all had very different activities that tackled different aspects of learning, and yet I think they all had one thing in common: they all tried to make learning fun and engaging.

The collaborate aspect of the trade fair also struck me. It was tremendous fun to see my peer’s work, but what I found beneficial was being able to go and talk to those peers and having them talk to me. When other people are able to comment on your work, you’re really able to work out some of those troublesome kinks that might remain, or even see issues you hadn’t even thought of. It is also very rewarding to be able to help my classmates talk over their ideas. The whole experience reminds me of a saying that people sometimes use “it takes a village to raise a child” While I don’t have kids of my own yet and can’t comment on raising them, I think I can say with certainty that it takes a village to teach them.