CORRECTION OF WRITTEN WORK

1. In your own experience of learning languages, what kinds of feedback did your teachers give
you? How useful did you find this feedback?
Consider the following comments made by learners of English. In each case attempt to define
in what ways the expectations and personal philosophies of the teacher and the learner are
similar or appear to differ. Write your own considerations in the grid (no more than 20 words /
comment) and save it as a Word.doc.
Example: Comment (a): From her own experience as a learner or from her training as a
teacher, the teacher may have internalized the view that red ink is perceived by learners to be
intimidating or discouraging. She appears not to have questioned this, or at least she has not
solicited the views of this learners class. It may be the case that very few of her students
share her reluctance to use red ink.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.

I wish the teacher would use red ink so that I could see things clearly.
I wish the teacher would write in the corrections instead of using that code.
She corrects every mistake. Its really discouraging.
She seems to think that grammar and spelling are everything.
She writes really nice comments at the bottom.
She goes over our mistakes individually, one by one. Its such a waste of time.
She writes good at the bottom, but I know it isnt.
Id love to know what other students write.

COMMENT

YOUR OWN CONSIDERATIONS

b.

I think the learner has a point as I also have been asked to do that but form the
teachers point of view I would say that this would take a lot of time.

c.

I think it is good to correct everything. Students should be explained that this is

not a bad thing , it is only to make them understand where they are wrong and
how to change it for the better.

d.

It is not my case, actually, as my marks reflect other aspects, too, like

originality and cohesion, ( especially in writing letters, narrations) etc.

e.

I use to do so in order not to inhibit the student in trying again and improving
his/her work. Sometimes I draw a smiling face or I just encourage them to go
on.

f.

I try to combine collective correction with individual correction. There are

common mistakes but there are also the original ones.

g.

I think that good is rather ambiguous. It should be more explicit , and explain
what goodmeans for the teacher. O nthe other hand a 50 % percentage of
correct itemscannot be good so , it depends

h.

Sometimes it help the student to compare his work with the others but when it

comes to writing, for exemple there are also differences of style, creativity,
beaty of handwriting - elements which cannot be compared and taken . Every
student should be original, to my mind