AL-81 ยท Selected Studies โ€” ESL/TEFL

Error-Correction Triage

Not all errors should be corrected. Not all errors should be corrected the same way. SLA research is clear: over-correction kills fluency; under-correction allows fossilization. This triage tool helps teachers decide which student errors to address now, which to defer, and how to correct โ€” distinguishing global errors (communication breaks down) from local errors (communication succeeds despite the mistake).

๐Ÿ“Š SLA correction research: Lightbown & Spada (2006), Truscott (1996), Ferris (1999), Nassaji (2016); corrective feedback taxonomy: Lyster & Ranta (1997)
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Error Classification Inputs
Triage Decision
Global vs. Local Classification
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Correction Recommendation
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Suggested Techniques (Lyster & Ranta 1997)
Lyster & Ranta (1997) โ€” 6 Corrective Feedback Techniques

Based on classroom interaction analysis in French immersion contexts. These categories have been widely adopted and validated across language learning contexts.

Key Research Findings โ€” Error Correction in SLA

Five foundational findings every ESL/EFL teacher should know. These represent the core empirical base for making correction decisions.