Why There is Still Room for Delayed Error Correction

ESL-Wise: Blog 18 Why There is Still Room for Delayed Error Correction By Alan David Pritchard

In an earlier post Why Spoken Grammar Errors Deserve Correction and How to Do It Right, I wrote about the importance of responding to mistakes gently and immediately, using reformulation and supported re-use. That approach helps learners notice the correct form without breaking their flow.

This time I want to look at something different: what happens when we wait a while.

The Moment We All Recognise

A student is talking freely, explaining an idea with confidence. Then you hear it.

“Yesterday I go shopping with my mother.”

You notice the error straight away. You could fix it, but something stops you, and you sense that interrupting would break the rhythm and confidence you have worked so hard to build.

That hesitation is often the beginning of delayed correction.

Why Delayed Error Correction Works

When I first started teaching, I corrected instantly. If a student said “He go yesterday,” I stopped them, gave the rule, and asked for repetition. It worked for accuracy but it weakened fluency.

Students began to pause, watching me instead of listening to one another. Some spoke less. The classroom felt tense and over-controlled.

Eventually I began keeping a small notebook beside me. As students spoke, I quietly wrote down the errors I heard. When the activity ended, I wrote a few examples on the board and invited the class to discuss them. I have since modified that approach using sentence correction slips. (See below)

Here is an example of a recent modification to the delayed error correction strategy: each student gets 5 slips to correct. If they are correct, they keep their slip; if not, I collect the incorrect slips. That then gives me the data I need to focus my teaching the next day or at the end of the lesson.

What It Looks Like in Class

After a discussion on weekend routines, my board might read:

1. He go to his friend house on Sunday.

2. She don’t like eat noodles.

3. I am agree with that idea.

Students work in pairs to correct each sentence before we check together. There is no embarrassment. Students explain their reasoning and often correct their own sentences without realising they are doing it.

The correction becomes a shared investigation rather than a public repair.

When to Step In Straight Away

Waiting is not always the answer. Sometimes you still need to correct on the spot.

• When the mistake blocks understanding, such as “I am boring” instead of “I am bored”

• When the error is part of the grammar point or vocabulary focus of the lesson

• When the language could cause confusion or offence

The rest of the time, delay works better. It protects fluency while keeping accuracy in sight.

How to Build Delayed Error Correction Into Lessons

Here are a few simple ways to make delayed correction part of your routine:

Error board: Collect a few sentences while students speak. At the end of class, write them up and explore them together.

Peer reformulation: Display one sentence at a time and let pairs discuss how to improve it before sharing.

Weekly review: Keep a list of recurring slips and revisit them during a short feedback session later in the week.

These routines keep correction visible but never intrusive.

Why Delayed Error Correction Matters

In Blog 4 I argued that correction should build confidence, not fear. Delayed correction continues that idea. It tells students that their message mattered first, and that accuracy will follow.

When learners know you will come back to mistakes later, they take more risks. They speak longer. And when they see their sentences appear on the board, they engage with the grammar instead of defending the error.

Final Thought

Immediate and delayed correction are not opposites. They work together.The first supports learners in the moment.The second helps them reflect afterwards. Both respect the learner’s voice. Both remind us that accuracy grows best when confidence is protected.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.

I’d love to hear from you.

Further Reading

Grade University – Delayed Error Correction https://grade-university.com/blog/delayed-error-correction

TEFLGeek – Some Thoughts on Giving Feedback https://teflgeek.net/2021/06/25/some-thoughts-on-giving-feedback/

HLT Magazine – Delayed Correction: A Springboard for Teaching https://www.hltmag.co.uk/oct19/delayed-error-correction

Seidlitz Blog – Oral Corrective Feedback in Secondary Classrooms https://seidlitzblog.org/2023/12/06/oral-corrective-feedback-in-secondary-classrooms/

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