Module 1 – Grammar

Learners’ mistakes and correction strategies 
Correction code 
A series of symbols a teacher may use to mark students’ writing so that they can correct mistakes by themselves, e.g. 
P = punctuation mistake, T = tense mistake. 

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Echo correct
 
When a student makes a mistake, the teacher repeats the mistake with rising intonation so that students can correct 
themselves, e.g. 
Student: He don’t like it. 
Teacher: Don’t? 
Student: He doesn’t like it.
 
 
Over-application of the rule 
When a student uses a grammatical rule too much, making an incorrect word or structure by following a regular 
pattern, e.g. a student says There were three girls (correct plural form) and two mans. (incorrect plural form) 
 
Over-generalisation: see over-application of the rule. 
 
Reformulation
noun
, reformulate 
verb 
When a teacher corrects what a student has said by repeating the sentence correctly, but without drawing the 
students’ attention to their mistake. This is usually the way parents ‘correct’ their young children’s language mistakes.
 
Repetition 
 
To say something again, often for practice. This is often done in drills.
 
 
Self-correction 
When students are able to correct language mistakes they have made when asked without help from the teacher or 
other students. 
 
Time line 
A diagram that shows learners the relationship between tense and time. It is often used in language teaching to 
present the use of a new tense or to correct learners when they use tenses wrongly, e.g. 
Past Now Future 
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Present perfect tense 
See tenses.