ASK TEACHER JULIETA

Why doesn’t my English teacher correct every single mistake I make?

Dear English learner,

I understand that you may feel frustrated that your teacher doesn’t correct every single mistake you make. However, please keep in mind that teachers have to strike a balance between correcting errors and allowing students to express themselves freely.

It’s important to understand that correcting every mistake you make can be too much and not the best way to learn a language. Research has shown that too much feedback can actually make it harder to learn and make you less confident when using the language.

Giving feedback is MORE than simply correcting your errors or pointing out every single mistake you make. There are different types of feedback that English teachers usually give to their students to help them improve their language skills.

Here I’m going to explain briefly the different types of feedback many English teachers give to their students:

Corrective feedback

Corrective feedback is a type of feedback that is given when a student makes an error in their language use. For example, if you said “I goed to the store” instead of “I went to the store”, your teacher might give you corrective feedback by saying “It should be ‘I went to the store’.”

This type of feedback can be valuable for improving your language skills, but it’s not the only form of feedback that you can receive.

Positive feedback

Positive feedback is a type of feedback that focuses on what you did well. For example, if you gave a great presentation in class, your teacher might give you positive feedback by saying “You did a wonderful job presenting your ideas clearly and confidently.”

This type of feedback give praise for a job well done, and it can also boost your motivation and confidence.

Formative feedback

Formative feedback can come in various forms, depending on the context. For example, your teacher might give you feedback on a piece of writing you submitted or provide you with guidance during a conversation practice. The feedback might include suggestions on how to improve your grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, or communication skills.

This type of feedback focuses on addressing specific areas for improvement, can help you identify where to focus your efforts.

Summative feedback

Summative feedback is a type of feedback that is given at the end of a learning period or after a task has been completed. For example, at the end of a course, your teacher might give you a final exam or project and provide you with a grade based on your overall performance.

This form of feedback can help you identify areas where you still need improvement, as well as what you did well.

In addition to feedback from your teacher, you can also seek feedback from peers or language exchange partners. They may be able to provide a different perspective on your language use and offer suggestions for improvement.

I hope this explanation have answered your question.

With love,

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FLUENCY

How to Give Feedback

Giving and getting feedback is part of effective communication. Giving feedback is a good way to encourage and motivate others. Getting feedback gives people the opportunity to reflect on their learning/ teaching process or their performance at work.

What does feedback mean?

According to Cambridge Dictionary, feedback is:

“an opinion from someone about something that you have done or made”

If there are things that need to be improved you can provide constructive criticism to help others advance in their learning/ teaching process or careers.

The purpose of giving feedback and constructive criticism is to lead others to improve in the longer term. Therefore, when giving feedback it is important that you avoid judging or giving negative comments or remarks.

Here you have some sentence starters that you can use to give positive feedback:

PRACTICE TIME

Imagine that you are a manager in a tech company. One of your assistants has developed a software that will help the company save a lot of money. However, the software is not user friendly (difficult to use). Your assistant has presented his/ her project in the last weekly meeting. Give him/ her some feedback.

Write your feedback in the comments below.