The_significance_of_learners’_errors.pptVIP

The significance of learners’ errorsS. P. Corder Errors in SLA Standard works on the teaching of modern languages dismissed learners’ errors as a matter of no particular importance, as possible annoying, distracting, but inevitable by-products of the process of learning a language about which the teacher should make as little fuss as possible Errors in SLA /2 The application of linguistic and psychological theory to the study of language learning added a new dimension to the discussion of errors: principled means for accounting for the errors → interference (from the habits of the L1) Errors in SLA /3 The major contribution of the linguist to language teaching? intensive CA → an inventory of the areas of difficulty which the learner would encounter: to direct the teacher’s attention to these areas Teachers have not always been impressed by this contribution from the linguist their practical experience has usually already shown them where these difficulties lie Errors in SLA /4 noted e.g. that many of the errors with which they were familiar were not predicted by the linguist anyway have been more concerned with how to deal with these areas of difficulty Two Schools School 1 errors: merely a sign of the present inadequacy of our teaching techniques → if we were to achieve a perfect teaching method the errors would never be committed School 2 errors will always occur in spite of our best efforts → we should concentrate on techniques for dealing with errors after they have occurred Two Schools /2 Both schools are compatible with the same theoretical standpoint about language and language learning psychologically behaviorist linguistically taxonomic → audiolingual or fundamental skills method of language teaching A new line of thinking To shift the emphasis away from a preoccupation with teaching towards a study of learning the question of whether there are any parallels between the processes of acquiring the mother tongue and the learning of SL the latter