Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason for choosing the theme English is the most popular language in the world , is also an important subject in school Seen the important of the language in the international communication and also in international integration development , so Vietnamese ministry education has selected English that are core subject English, which is not necessary for tourism, foreign trade, foreign companies, and computer users, is a high school graduation exam required subject Therefore, every student in high school needs to have English proficiency level to prepare for the exam and after graduation, at least students must have communication skill, reading and writing some common texts To make this job we not stop changing teaching methods and the study program to help students get result for general English language and a basic skills for the students 1.2 Aim of study When learning a foreign language, writing skills are considered one of the important skills that learners need to master if they really want to succeed in communication Learning English is no exception, especially in the era of international economic integration, when most sources of information are written in English that required higher writing skills Writing is a skill that people whatever they every day And students have been, are and will be meeting a variety of articles to improve their learning process However, according to Nunan: "In all skills, writing a coherent, fluent and evocative essay is the hardest part of learning the language." Object of study In the process of learning a foreign language, making mistakes are an inevitable part and play an important role When writing, students often face many difficulties in writing paragraphs that are consistent and coherent For 11 th grade students, just beginning to get used to writing short paragraphs, pointing out basic mistakes and guiding them to overcome them is essential because it will help them to improve In the process of learning and practicing writing skills later Understanding the circumstances in which students make mistakes and how he or she corrects them will help improve their writing skills With English teachers, who have the primary responsibility for helping students develop this skill, the effectiveness of teaching depends not only on the teaching method but also on the knowledge and skills of the language of the teacher There are many factors that affect the learning outcomes of the learner, correcting mistakes is one of the most important factors Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader We can not deny that making errors in writing is inevitable throughout the learning process The more students focus on the lesson, the more they want to create and develop in their own way of thinking in the process of language formation This is one of the reasons why the number of errors that students make is increasing but making mistakes is also considered as a positive process Students may find that they write satisfactorily and that it also helps the teacher assess the student's ability at the right time to help them progress In the process of correcting errors , the teacher also get feedback from the students.This means that there will be disagreements not only between the teacher but also the student in general about the errors that students often have, how to overcome those errors, whether the error correction method is effective to help students improve their writing skills, which error correction method bring the most effective, and when correcting errors is reasonable With the problems in the teaching the writing skills to 11 th grade students, I made an initiative experience in the 2016-2017 academic year with title: "Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11 th Grader " By synthesizing and analyzing common errors in students’ writing and applying some corrective measures, I hope to help students understand the difficulties of learning to write simultaneously Teachers and students some effective ways to make the lesson come true 1.4 Method of study As I proceeded to study the problem, I learned the reasons why the students encountered such errors, so that I could analyze them through documentation, experiences from the dorm, and colleagues, test students to find out the most effective method to correct errors for students Method of study: - Learn, exchange, record, analyze the test , practice, compare and contrast - Use visual aids CONTENTS OF INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE 2.1 Rationale: 2.1.1 Write 2.1.1.1 The concept of "writing" in the theory of language In order to have appropriate and effective access to teaching writing skills, understanding the notion of "writing" in the theory of language is necessary There are many definitions of "writing" Every linguist has its own definitions depending on what criteria they consider important Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader According to Byrne (1979), it is "an activity that forms a series of symbols arranged in convention to form words and words arranged in sentences." In this view, we can see that any activity that makes up words / sentences, whether meaning or not, is considered "written." Writing, according to the theory of language, is not as simple as Byrne's It is a complex process that, according to Lannon (1989), is defined as "the process of converting materials discovered by inspiration, randomness, experimentation and making errors, or anything in the message full of meaning - writing is a process of careful decisions " By definition, the writing must contain a meaningful message, which defines the definition of Byrne (1979) as it is intended to be written rather than written without a clear orientation In the process of teaching and learning, writing is considered "language skills" ( Tribble , 1996) It not only presents language in written form but also develops and expresses ideas in sequential way That is "a process that takes place over a period of time, especially when we spend some time thinking before writing the first outline" (Harris, 1993) Compared to previously given concepts, this concept is the most satisfactory because it covers all aspects of writing skills: form (writing), purpose (expressing ideas) , and structured (structured) When writing, we know that writing is the product of an individual who aims to communicate with others indirectly That means the receiver does not stand before the writer to hear from the writer Therefore, the writer must be sure that the text he wrote is not only accurate but also understandable to the reader Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader Several factors need to be considered when writing under Raimes (1983) SYNTAX CONTENT Structure of sentences Appropriateness , clarity, etc, … logic,etc, GRAMMAR: WRITING PROCESS: Tense rules, idea, draft then review Articles and pronouns EFFECTIVE AND CLEAR IDEAS FORM APPROACHED Handwriting pronounce, PEOPLE: Reader punctuation, writing AIM: Reason for , etc Coherence, unification STUCTURE Theme, paragraphs MAKE A CHOICE Vocabulary, idioms, expressions 2.1.1.2 Writing process According to Tribble (1996), the process consists of four steps: Before writing: This is the step that the writer performs before drafting, including selecting topics, thinking, taking notes, discussing, arranging ideas, outlining, gathering information (Eg, interviews, library search, data processing) Drafting: Drafting is the process by which writers put ideas into sentences, paragraphs, focus on explanations, clarifying ideas, and linking ideas Revise: This is an important step to have a complete text Writers will think about what the reader expects, the reader is the text center towards For example, refine textures, link ideas, or add conjunctions Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader Editors: Writers review the form of the articles such as spelling, grammar, punctuation As we have seen from the point of view, writing is a one-way process unrelated to the reader Reid (1993) also shares the same view but adds three more steps of the writing process: feedback, evaluation, and after writing This made Reid's after writing process more satisfactory In short, the steps of Reid's writing process (1993) can be illustrated in the following diagram: BEFORE WRITE WRITING FEEDBACK CORRECT EDITOR EVALUATE AFTER WRITING In short, the article is a form of exercise in which two people not work the same way However, there are basic steps that every writer must when doing the article Each researcher has different ways to illustrate the writing process, but all are written as a "recursive" process that requires a great deal of effort from the writer 2.1.2 The concept of "error" and "error correction": 2.1.2.1 The concept of "error": 2.1.2.1.1 Concept: There are many definitions of errors made by well-known researchers such as Abbort (1981), Edge (1989), McKay (1989), Goldstein (1990), Hubbard (1991), Klassen (1993), Crossling (1996) Although they express in different ways, the concepts have general points about the nature and function of the error Goldstein (1990) defines the error as "an action of ignorance, omissions, or inadvertent distraction, straying from the original orientation or failing to reach the goal" Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader Klassen (1993) gives a simpler definition of error According to Klassen, the error is "a form or structure that can not be accepted by indigenous people for inappropriate use" Meanwhile, Crosling (1996) made his point of view in favor of the criteria "Any departure from the conventional method is considered error" When it comes to error, some researchers have the same view that not only people who learn foreign languages but also indigenous mistakes Indigenous people make mistakes at two levels: "morphological errors" and "expressions errors", and the second is a common mistake with higher frequency (McKay, 1984) Therefore, errors should be considered as contrary to normal and inconsistent We can see mistakes in all levels of language from form to speech 2.1.2.1.2 Classification error: Lippman, J (2003) distinguishes between two types of errors: "general errors" and “personal errors” CLASSIFICATION General errors whole sentence are not correct the Personal errors are not correct for each element Eg: word orders ,wrong conjunctions Eg : tenses, articles, modal verbs Result : unsuccessful communication Result : confusing communication Common issues include: * Thesis * Structure * Base * Compatibility and consistency * Suitability with object purpose Own issues include: * Spelling * Syntax * Grammar * Punctuation According to Lippman (2003) Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader There are many ways to classify errors depending on the purpose of the researcher in the analysis and its relevance to the practical conditions of teaching and learning the language 2.1.2.2 General error correction: 2.1.2.2.1 Error correction: When evaluating an article we have the concept of "feedback", in which there are two components that need to be distinguished: "assessment" and "correction" Regarding the assessment, the learner is simply identified as doing well or not in the article Regarding error correction, learners receive detailed information about the article such as: explaining, providing better spelling As a rule, correcting errors can give the writer the right and wrong information and why, but in general both the teacher and the students consider the concept is error correction 2.1.2.2.2 Some basic methods in correcting errors for students In the general teaching process, teachers often have to deal with issues such as "What mistakes need to be corrected" and "correcting mistakes" Gower and Walter (1983) put forth four issues for language teachers to address when students' mistakes in writing are "what to look for, when, how and how much." Meanwhile, Raimes (1983) also outlines seven basic defect-correcting principles for correcting mistakes in the classroom: With the student's article no need to mark the error but still determine the error to correct Determine the error carefully and look for the cause Find the parts that the students have done well Record the parts that students make mistakes Establish clear, easy-to-understand symbols Always give reasons or correct and remove mistakes carefully 7.Handle the errors carefully and create the habit for the students Resolving the "what to correct, when to correct" problem, researchers often suggest that the teacher should choose the way to correct errors immediately or until the same errors in the same lesson To make the "how much correction" problem is clear Gower and Walter give some suggestions: • Attract students in correcting process • Use less time to correct individual problems, focusing on common mistakes Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader • Point out the mistakes that students have just made • Indicate the location of the error • Indicate the type of error • Give the opportunity for self-correction • Students who can not the homework themselves will be asked to help other students • If the step fails, the teacher will correct the mistake Edge (1989) also provides three basic correcting error steps: Self-correction : The teacher points out errors for students to correct themselves because sometimes students need help identifying errors before they can correct themselves Peer correction Student work in pairs or in groups to find and correct errors in each other's writing This attracts all students into the error correction process, making the student active, less dependent on the teacher Teacher correction: Teachers find the writer's intentions to speak through the wrong sentences and guide students to express themselves correctly 2.1.3 The relationship between errors, correcting errors with the process of teaching and learning writing skills Making error is inevitable in the learning process, in this way learners make important and necessary features for language learning Making error is the way that students verify learned knowledge, thereby catching up with that language With teachers, students make errors in the learning process to help them assess the level of students knowledge, to consider what they need to learn to improve The error correction also has a positive impact on the process of teaching and learning the language Through self-correcting, correcting the errors with classmates and listening to teacher's correction can progress faster Especially writing skills require high accuracy in words and expressions 2 Current situation: From analyzing survey data , reading and finding errors in student writing throughout Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader the teaching process, we can see that some of the realities of the problem raised in this initiative experience: Both teachers and students have positive attitudes toward correcting errors, They consider that error correction is an important part in learning process, and an important factor in improving the writing ability of students Correcting mistakes is important to writing skills Although both teachers and students have tried, their writing skills have not improved much Because there are many errors have not been pointed out and corrected thoroughly after the general assessment of the student's writing That means students can not understand where wrong There are errors that both teachers and students are difficult to detect such as logical errors, expressions, or errors I like reading historical magazine Historical: Historical, historical, historical Students and teachers usually only pay attention to the spelling, grammar, or structure of the article In the error correction method, both the teacher and the student think that the teacher corrects the errors, students correct the students' errors and correct the errors themselves is the main method Students are often passive during the error correction process In general, there are still problems in correcting students' writing, especially the 10th grade students are familiar with the types of writing in the curriculum such as letters, invitations, narratives In order to improve the quality of teaching and learning in general as well as to improve the efficiency of correcting errors in the learning process, the introduction of effective and appropriate correcting methods should be investigated and applied Measures to solve the problem: 2.3.1 The teacher 2.3.1.1 Steps in evaluating student writing 2.3.1.1.1 Determine "Which errors need to correct" Correcting all errors in students' writing is not really necessary Teachers should choose important points - this depends on the language target that the lesson is about This requires the teacher to identify errors in his / her writing that cover errors or minor errors and then guide students When students understand the types of errors that students make , they will determine what the error in their writing is Students are more likely to detect grammatical errors than semantic errors, word or logic errors Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader 3.1.1.2 Determine "how many errors should be corrected" Teachers can make the decision only to correct fundamental and serious errors so that students not get discouraged because of too many errors in their writing However, how many errors should be corrected also depends on the student object Because some students find it embarrassing to receive too many errors while others are not satisfied if the article receives strange comments, such as "good work" 3.1.1.3 Form "Error Correction" - The use of symbols when correcting: This method proves to be convenient because the teacher does not have to write the full words, phrases into the article, especially when the number of many articles Symbols and meanings: GR: Grammar Voc : Vocabulary Sp: Spelling error P : Punctuation error V : Verb tenses errors W.O : Wrong word order W.W : Wrong word used Agr : Agreement : Good, well done ? : I don’t understand Pre : Preposition √ : Good point Cap : Capitalizing this word ( ) : Unnecessary word Φ : Omitting this word Providing feedback responsibly: Providing feedback plays an important role in encouraging students to re-read and be more eager to learn Besides pointing out erros, the teacher should also encourage, praise what students try to show in the article Using pen different color ink: Teachers often use the red pen when correcting errors for students to easily see But if the teacher uses red pen to cross out errors in the article, students will feel overwhelmed, when they look at it, that makes students feel they can not write well and they not want to receive the Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 10 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader article As a consequence, they not want to write anymore Correcting writing article is not only just about pointing out the wrong thing but also encouraging students to express and correct the problem themselves Teachers should use a pen that is different from the ink of the article to correct or use a pencil to correct the paper to help students understand that the teacher is making suggestions Tick the margin of the article for students to identify where the error made: This applies when students are familiar with error symbols Students can find errors in the line or sentences with symbols 3.1.2 Steps after evaluating the student's writing 3.1.2.1 Organize the general comment after marking Students will learn more if the teacher has time for class work after the mark Students can avoid making the same mistakes in their writing when they hear about other errors 3.1.2.2 Provide students with basic writing rules and assignments related to common errors that students make Teachers can provide short memos (for example, writing a letter of invitation letter to show the way) or Find out mistake exercises for students to practise 3.2 The student 3.2.1 Change the attitude of the student with correcting error: Previously, many teachers think that making mistakes isn’t a good thing To them, it indicates that the student is ignorant or lazy, and in some cases the teacher blames the student for not paying attention or doing the assignment carefully They not pay attention to the student as if the student did something wrong However, according to the new approach, students make mistakes that mean they are trying to find new expressions, they learn the theory combined with practice Writing is a process that can not be asked right from the beginning Teachers should make students understand that errors is one of the ways to improve their skills, which is an important part of learning This helps students become more confident and psychologically balanced before going into writing activities 3.2.2 Emphasize the importance of re-reading and correcting errors Error correction is necessary, it should not be a problem Students need to see that it is a necessity while learning the writing skills Correcting mistakes when students try hard to write often does not encourage students The appropriate solution is to make the error correction work in the classroom Having students actively Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 11 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader participate in the process of completing their writing is also a way to encourage students to use English without worrying about making mistakes Raising students' awareness of re-reading and correcting errors will help them pay more attention to correcting of their own writings To help students raise awareness, the teacher also needs to be aware of and give some rules when discussing, which may give additional points for students to make accurate comments about your writing in the class 3.2.3 Teach students how to find and point errors Using the sign system when correcting errors is effective, which encourages students to self-correct and correct other students Teachers should provide clear instructions and sign language systems at the start of teaching Example: Find and point out errors in Mark Twain Mark Twain was known as ones of the greatest American writers His real name was Samuel Longhorn Clemens He was born in Missouri in 1835 He grow up on the banks of the Mississipi River He started writing during the Civil War He worked as a newspaperman in Navada and California In 1870 ,Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon His wife had great influence in his books Mark Twain was also a lecturers famous He travelled around a country, giving talks on a variety of subjects His best novels are “the Adventures of Tom Sawyer “, and” The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and another novel “Life on the Mississipi” which told of his adventures of the river boats of his era His last novel wrote in 1909 He died at the old of 75 Correct article” Mark Twain was known as one of the greatest American writers His real name was Samuel Longhorn Clemens He was born in Missouri in 1835 He grew up on the banks of the Mississipi River He started writing during the Civil War He worked as a newspaperman in Navada and California In 1870 ,Mark Twain married Olivia Langdon His wife had great influence on his books Mark Twain was also a famous lecturers He travelled around the country, giving talks on a variety of subjects His best novels are “the Adventures of Tom Sawyer “, and” The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and another novel“Life on the Mississipi” which told of his adventures on the river boats of his era His last novel was written in 1909 He died at the age of 75 3.2.4 Apply drafts several times Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 12 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader Drafting is often seen as an effective way to correct errors This method encourages students to participate in the correction process To perform this activity, it is necessary to follow some steps: Guide students to the errors need to find in each draft: In this activity , students are required to write copies , the students should note the errors in the following table: 1st time Error note 2nd time 3rd time to Check the structure Pay attention to Find all the possible and logic of the the use of words, errors article grammar, * Scores for students who are able to find and point out errors in the articles Additions can encourage students to participate in corrective action to help you improve the writing * Assess students’ progress through each draft: Teachers can also see the student's progress through each writing, and can also score points with students showing significant improvement Effectiveness of the initiative experience: The initiative experience is to identify and analyze some common errors for students in the 11th grade while learning the writing skills, as well as to provide some effective error correction method for teachers in the process of teaching writing skill Practical teaching in the 2016-2017 school year examines the writing skills of 11C12 students at the beginning of the semester compared to the end of the semester Test writing skills by writing a test 15 minutes after students finished Unit Friendship - write a 80- 100 words paragraph about a friend Results of error analysis that students made as follows: Errors Grammar Vocabulary Spelling 0-5 sts sts sts 6-10 14 sts 15 sts 17 sts 11-15 13 sts 12 sts 10 sts Over 15 11 sts 10 sts 11sts Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 13 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader Data analysis revealed that early in the 11 th grade, students' writing skills were uneven and weak at more than 50% of the errors In particular, only 25% of the students scored above the average Examine students about finding out and correct error exercise(about 15 sentences) in 20 minutes with 15 students at different levels The test results show the following results: Students Detecting errors 1-5 Detecting 6-10 errors Detecting 1115errors Weak sts 5/5 sts 0/5 h/s 0/5 sts Average sts 3/5 sts 2/5 sts 0/5 sts Good sts 2/5 sts 3/5 sts 0/5 sts Through examination I find that the skill of finding and correct errors does not completely depend on grammar and vocabulary but because of the ability to use that language in practice During the lessons written in the first semester I applied the measures mentioned in part of initiative experience , the ability to find and correct errors of students has improved significantly through each test throughout the learning process The error identification error of 42 students tested was 70% detected more than 50% of errors in the requested error Writing skills through group activity, 50% of students in the group were able to correct the group's writing during the discussion The results of written tests after the writing class of students or groups in the first semester (42 articles) are as follows: Error Grammar Vocabulary Spelling 0-4 errors 15 articles 16 articles 17 articles 5-8 errors 16 articles 18 articles 13 articles 9-12 errors articles articles articles Over 12 errors articles articles articles The results of practicing writing skills of 11C12 students after periods of writing in term I in the 2016 - 2017 school year have not really reached the completion level because 11C12 students are students in C class However, initially, it was found that the positive change in the content and method of teaching foreign languages , would bring certain effects and carry out the last goal of learning the language is the use of language in life and work Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 14 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions: Writing is one of the most important language skills for English learners, so as to perfect this skill requires a lot of time and effort The problem for both teachers and students in the learning process is to find effective teaching methods and writing skills On the other hand, it can be said that making errors are inevitable and play an important role in learning the language Errors in learning is considered as positive steps, so that students gain more experience, awareness and progress The implementation of the experiential initiate for the purposes mentioned has provided some effective correction for students in the English language program11 In teaching, I found this initiate to be force to help me and my colleagues to be creative in teaching because teaching English writing skill in High school is not a simple task that requires a lot of effort and patience The results can not be changed overnight but need a relatively long time The scope of this initiate can be extended to all English language learners for writing skill and problem solving are available in all units of instruction in the textbook 3.2 Recommendations: To succeed in helping students correct errors in writing to improve their writing skills, there can be no lack of teacher’s enthusiasm, passion, and qualification Furthermore , there should be support, encouragement, timely attention and guidance of the school and the leadership In the next school year, I have the desire to carry out the experiential initiate to put some periods of the writing skills into option teaching curriculum to help enriching and deepening writing skills The above is all I did and draw from my teaching experience However, the theme still has limitations to be added I would like to see more of my colleague's comments to help me more perfect! Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 15 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader REFERENCES Academic writing – Oxford Press Standard English skills 10, 11, 12 - (First edition) - Vietnam Educational Publisher 2010 Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (7th edition) 4.Principle of language learning and teaching - Oxford publisher 2011 5.Design of teaching and learning English 11, Ha Noi Educational publisher Some teaching methodology Wed page : wed.violet.com, error correction com Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 16 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reason for choosing the theme 1.2 Aim of study 1.3 Object of study .1 1.4 Method of study CONTENTS OF INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE 2.1 Rational 2.2 Current situation .8 2.3 Measures to solve 2.4 Effectiveness of the initiative experience 13 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .15 3.1 Conclusions 15 3.2 Recommendations .15 REFFERENCES 16 Teacher : Bùi Thị Hòa - Le Viet Tao high school – School year: 2017 – 2018 17 .. .Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader We can not deny that making errors in writing is inevitable throughout the learning process The more... 2.1.1.1 The concept of "writing" in the theory of language In order to have appropriate and effective access to teaching writing skills, understanding the notion of "writing" in the theory of language... 2017 – 2018 Some Effective error correction methods in English writing articles of the 11th Grader There are many ways to classify errors depending on the purpose of the researcher in the analysis