Treatment of Error in Treatment of Error in Second Language WritingSecond Language Writing

Dana FerrisDana FerrisCalifornia State University, California State University,

SacramentoSacramentoferrisd@csus.eduferrisd@csus.edu

Workshop OutlineWorkshop Outline

9:30-10:00: Introduction, workshop 9:30-10:00: Introduction, workshop outline, warm-up discussionoutline, warm-up discussion

10:00-10:30: Error Feedback: Questions, 10:00-10:30: Error Feedback: Questions, issues, and optionsissues, and options

10:30-10:45: Break10:30-10:45: Break 10:45-11:15: Error feedback workshop 10:45-11:15: Error feedback workshop

activity (individual, SG, LG)activity (individual, SG, LG) 11:15-11:45: Beyond error correction: 11:15-11:45: Beyond error correction:

Other treatment optionsOther treatment options 11:45-12:00: Q & A; wrap-up11:45-12:00: Q & A; wrap-up

Issues, Questions, & OptionsIssues, Questions, & Options  

1.1. What is an error? Should we mark for “errors” or “style”? What is an error? Should we mark for “errors” or “style”? 2.2. What kinds of errors do ESL writers most typically make?What kinds of errors do ESL writers most typically make?3.3. Should error feedback be Should error feedback be selectiveselective or or comprehensivecomprehensive??4.4. Should error feedback focus on Should error feedback focus on largerlarger or or smallersmaller categories categories

or types?or types?5.5. Should feedback be Should feedback be directdirect or or indirectindirect??6.6. Should errors be Should errors be labeledlabeled or or locatedlocated??7.7. Should error feedback be given Should error feedback be given in the textin the text or or in an end in an end

note?note?8.8. How can teachers conserve energy and avoid burnout in How can teachers conserve energy and avoid burnout in

responding to L2 student writers’ errors?responding to L2 student writers’ errors?

What is an error? Should we mark What is an error? Should we mark for “errors” or “style”?for “errors” or “style”?

A working definitionA working definition: Errors are : Errors are morphological, syntactic, and lexical morphological, syntactic, and lexical forms which deviate from accepted forms which deviate from accepted norms of standard written English norms of standard written English and which violate the expectations of and which violate the expectations of literate native speakers. literate native speakers.

What kinds of errors do ESL writers What kinds of errors do ESL writers most typically make?most typically make?

Variation depending upon L1, “eye” Variation depending upon L1, “eye” vs. “ear” learner, etc.vs. “ear” learner, etc.

Studies suggest that ESL writers Studies suggest that ESL writers struggle in the following major areas:struggle in the following major areas:

Major Error PatternsMajor Error Patterns

Verbs: Errors in tense/aspect, Verbs: Errors in tense/aspect, form, agreementform, agreement

Nouns: Missing, unnecessary, Nouns: Missing, unnecessary, or incorrect endings or or incorrect endings or determiners, agreement errorsdeterminers, agreement errors

Word Choice Errors: Using the Word Choice Errors: Using the wrong semantic formwrong semantic form

Major Error PatternsMajor Error Patterns

Word Form Errors: Using the Word Form Errors: Using the wrong syntactic form of a word.wrong syntactic form of a word.

Sentence Boundary Errors: Sentence Boundary Errors: Run-ons, fragments, and Run-ons, fragments, and comma splicescomma splices

Sentence Structure: Errors in Sentence Structure: Errors in word order, missing or word order, missing or unnecessary words, unidiomatic unnecessary words, unidiomatic constructionconstruction

Major Error PatternsMajor Error Patterns

Mechanical or Usage Errors:Mechanical or Usage Errors: Spelling or typingSpelling or typing Capitalization Capitalization Punctuation, especially missing or Punctuation, especially missing or

unnecessary commas, semi-colons, unnecessary commas, semi-colons, or apostrophes.or apostrophes.

Should error feedback be selective Should error feedback be selective or comprehensive?or comprehensive?

Selective: Does not overwhelm Selective: Does not overwhelm teachers & students, helps students teachers & students, helps students focus on major error patterns focus on major error patterns

Comprehensive: Avoids fossilization, Comprehensive: Avoids fossilization, gives students feedback and input gives students feedback and input for acquisitionfor acquisition

Feedback choice: Depends upon Feedback choice: Depends upon stage of process and goals of stage of process and goals of feedbackfeedback

Larger or Smaller Error Larger or Smaller Error Categories?Categories?

Larger: Less margin for teacher error, Larger: Less margin for teacher error, less confusing to students, discrete less confusing to students, discrete types can be hard to distinguishtypes can be hard to distinguish

Smaller: Gives students more specific Smaller: Gives students more specific information, helpful for mini-lessons information, helpful for mini-lessons or independent studyor independent study

My view: Larger is better!My view: Larger is better!

Larger or Smaller Error Larger or Smaller Error Categories?Categories?

1.1. My father My father had createhad create a good a good environment for me even though environment for me even though we we livelive in a small house. in a small house.

2.2. These are the ways my parents These are the ways my parents influenceinfluence my reading and writing. my reading and writing.

Verb tense?Verb tense?Verb form?Verb form?????????

Larger or Smaller Error Larger or Smaller Error Categories?Categories?

This gave me a hard time since This gave me a hard time since childchild……

Word choice?Word choice?

Word form?Word form?

Sentence structure?Sentence structure?

????????

Larger or Smaller Error Larger or Smaller Error Categories?Categories?

I faced I faced obstacleobstacle in the new country. in the new country.

Missing noun ending?Missing noun ending?

Missing article?Missing article?

????????

Larger or Smaller Error Larger or Smaller Error Categories?Categories?

It’s time to go It’s time to go aboardaboard to do my to do my research.research.

Wrong word?Wrong word?

Spelling?Spelling?

????????

Feedback OptionsFeedback OptionsOriginal Text Portion: I never needed to worry about Original Text Portion: I never needed to worry about

my parents because they knew everything and could my parents because they knew everything and could go anywhere they go anywhere they want.want.

   wantedwanted1. Direct Correction: …could go anywhere they 1. Direct Correction: …could go anywhere they want.want.2. Error Location: … could go anywhere they 2. Error Location: … could go anywhere they wantwant.. VTVT3. Error Code: …could go anywhere they 3. Error Code: …could go anywhere they wantwant..4. Error Symbol: …could go anywhere they 4. Error Symbol: …could go anywhere they wantwant _^ __^ _ tensetense5. Verbal Cue: …could go anywhere they 5. Verbal Cue: …could go anywhere they wantwant. . 6. Sample End Comment: 6. Sample End Comment: As you revise, be sure to As you revise, be sure to

check your verbs to see if they need to be in past or check your verbs to see if they need to be in past or present tense. present tense.

Direct or Indirect Feedback?Direct or Indirect Feedback?

Research: Students Research: Students preferprefer direct direct feedback but feedback but benefitbenefit more from more from indirect feedbackindirect feedback

Possible roles for direct feedback: Possible roles for direct feedback: lower L2 proficiency levels, idiomatic lower L2 proficiency levels, idiomatic usage (e.g., prepositions), usage (e.g., prepositions), information at end of writing processinformation at end of writing process

Combining Direct & Indirect Combining Direct & Indirect FeedbackFeedback

Student Text Portion with Direct & Indirect Student Text Portion with Direct & Indirect Feedback CombinedFeedback Combined

spspIt is possible for some immigrants to be truely happy in It is possible for some immigrants to be truely happy in

America. America. to to They hope They hope cancan find happiness in here, and most of find happiness in here, and most of

them them ww ww

find it. Even they are not find it. Even they are not truely truely happy in here, but happy in here, but

they they vfvfstill still beingbeing so strong to continue on the life road. so strong to continue on the life road.

Label or Locate Errors?Label or Locate Errors?

Arguments for Labeling: More Arguments for Labeling: More informative; can be tied to in-class informative; can be tied to in-class instruction or self-study materialsinstruction or self-study materials

Arguments for Locating: More student Arguments for Locating: More student autonomy, less opportunity for autonomy, less opportunity for teacher errorteacher error

In-Text Correction or End Note?In-Text Correction or End Note?

Students prefer point-of-error Students prefer point-of-error correction; more informativecorrection; more informative

End note option requires more End note option requires more student engagementstudent engagement

Teachers might consider weaning Teachers might consider weaning students to less explicit feedback as students to less explicit feedback as term progressesterm progresses

Conserving Energy & Avoiding Conserving Energy & Avoiding BurnoutBurnout

1.1. Do not feel that you must give written Do not feel that you must give written error feedback on every single paper error feedback on every single paper students write. students write.

2.2. Assess what your students know, find out Assess what your students know, find out what they want, and design your feedback what they want, and design your feedback strategies accordingly. strategies accordingly.

3.3. Set realistic goals for error feedback.Set realistic goals for error feedback.4.4. Make most of your feedback indirect, Make most of your feedback indirect,

focused on error location rather than focused on error location rather than identification, and verbal (not tied to identification, and verbal (not tied to codes or symbols). codes or symbols).

5.5. As time goes on, mark fewer errors and As time goes on, mark fewer errors and require the students to take increasing require the students to take increasing responsibility for their own progress.responsibility for their own progress.

Conflicts of Cultural and Languages Conflicts of Cultural and Languages MetamorphosisMetamorphosis

Minorities are groups of people that have in Minorities are groups of people that have in common common racial, ethnic, racial, ethnic, or religion, especially or religion, especially when when it it constitutes a small constitutes a small quantity quantity of a of a population. Minorities often have fewer rights population. Minorities often have fewer rights and less power than majority groups. One reason and less power than majority groups. One reason of of the existence of minorities is immigration. the existence of minorities is immigration. When culture and classWhen culture and class difference difference between between groups of people, it can cause inequalities or groups of people, it can cause inequalities or discrimination. discrimination. Being a minority group affectBeing a minority group affect a a persperson on identity in a negative way, identity in a negative way, specially specially when when you you are different in culture and race.are different in culture and race.

Workshop Text, continuedWorkshop Text, continued

I I grow grow up being a up being a minority groupminority group in my native in my native country, Panama. “This country, Panama. “This affectaffect a person’s identity a person’s identity radically.” I can say that radically.” I can say that forfor my experience. Just my experience. Just for being the minority for being the minority group, most of the time group, most of the time you are the target of their criticism. you are the target of their criticism. If you get If you get something well donesomething well done they get jealous, they get jealous, in contrastin contrast they laugh. When you they laugh. When you are the minority groupare the minority group you you feel like in another worldfeel like in another world even though you are in even though you are in the same country. You want to be accepted by the same country. You want to be accepted by them. You don’t want to be a lonely wolfthem. You don’t want to be a lonely wolf, , you you want to be in the pack of wolves.want to be in the pack of wolves.

Beyond Error Correction: Other Beyond Error Correction: Other Treatment Options (Treatment Options (T-Error, T-Error, Ch. 5)Ch. 5)

1.1. Assessment of Student NeedsAssessment of Student Needs

2.2. Consciousness-Raising and Strategy Consciousness-Raising and Strategy TrainingTraining

3.3. Grammar InstructionGrammar Instruction

4.4. Editing WorkshopsEditing Workshops

5.5. Tracking ProgressTracking Progress

6.6. Moving Towards AutonomyMoving Towards Autonomy

Questions and (Maybe) Answers!Questions and (Maybe) Answers!