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Why Spoken Grammar Errors Deserve Correction — and How to Do It Right

  • Writer: Alan David Pritchard
    Alan David Pritchard
  • 3 days ago
  • 4 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

ESL-Wise: Blog 4

Why Spoken Grammar Errors Deserve Correction — and How to Do It Right

By Alan David Pritchard

It happens in every ESL classroom. A student is speaking — freely, confidently, maybe even fluently.Then comes the glitch:“Yesterday I go to the market.”


You pause. You weigh it. Do you interrupt? Do you correct? Do you let it go?

It’s a moment most ESL teachers recognise — and one that raises a much bigger question:

Should we correct spoken grammar errors out loud?


The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. It’s a matter of timing, tone, and technique. And when we look at what second language acquisition (SLA) research tells us, one thing becomes clear: Correction helps — but only when it’s done right.

 

Spoken errors are a sign of learning, not failure


Let’s start here. Mistakes in spoken English are not a problem. They’re a process.


They’re not evidence of laziness or lack of knowledge.They’re what happens when learners stretch their developing language systems into real-time communication.


SLA researchers like Rod Ellis and Patsy Lightbown agree: language accuracy develops gradually — often unevenly.

A student might write “went” correctly on a worksheet, but still say “go” in conversation.This isn’t backsliding. It’s cognitive load. It’s real-life language use under pressure.


And that’s exactly where learning lives.

 

Why correct at all?

Because left unaddressed, spoken errors can become fossilised.


Because noticing the gap between “what I said” and “what I meant” is a vital step in language development.


But that doesn’t mean we pounce on every mistake. It means we choose our moments.


And we correct in ways that help students hear, understand, and re-use the correct form — without breaking their flow.

 

Gentle correction that keeps fluency intact

One of the most effective — and respectful — strategies is verbal reformulation with supported re-use.


Here’s how it works:


1. You hear an error.

“He don’t like fish.”

2. You reformulate, without fanfare.

“Right — he doesn’t like fish.”

3. You immediately offer a continuation prompt.

“Tell me what he does like. Start with ‘He doesn’t like fish, but he does like …’”


Other examples:


Student: “She can to drive.”Teacher: “She can drive. Tell me how she learned. Start with, ‘She can drive because…’”

Student: “I am go to school every day.”Teacher: “You go to school every day. Tell me when — start with, ‘I go to school at…’”


This method:


  • Models the correct form

  • Gives the student a safe, immediate chance to re-use it

  • Keeps the communication going

  • Builds confidence instead of breaking it


There’s no embarrassment. No spotlight. Just progress — quietly, naturally, respectfully. And for me the trick is to not make a big deal about it. I try not to sound like I am forcing a correction, but rather sound like it is a natural thing to help recast with scaffolds. Like it is no big deal.


Whiteboard with a student sentence about sharks, annotated with teacher prompts like “Why did you say ‘eats’ and not ‘eat’?” and “Replace ‘sharks’ with a pronoun. ‘It’ or ‘They’?” to encourage grammatical reflection.
Here is an example of the type of questions I asked when a student wrote questions about sharks on the whiteboard. Grammar error correction can be done with written as well as spoken expressions. In fact, it is also a good idea to get other students to ask error correction guiding questions, too.

 

What about more direct correction?


There’s a place for that too .Sometimes you’ll need to be more explicit — especially when a pattern keeps repeating, or when a student is ready to reflect on the rule.


SLA research identifies several types of oral feedback:


Recasts: Teacher reformulates the correct form (as above)
Prompts: Teacher encourages the learner to self-correct
Explicit correction: Teacher clearly identifies the error and gives the rule.

No one approach is always right.The key is responsiveness — knowing when your learner needs support, and when they’re ready for a challenge.

 

Three rules of thumb for spoken correction


1. Don’t interrupt fluency unless you have to. Let students finish. Then loop back with a reformulation and prompt.

2. Focus on patterns, not perfection. Correct what matters — especially errors tied to your current teaching goals.

3. Give learners a chance to speak again — better. Correction without re-use is a missed opportunity. Always invite them to say it again, with your support.

 

What not to do

  • Don’t correct every slip.

  • Don’t break the student’s flow just to fix a minor issue.

  • Don’t over-explain grammar mid-conversation.


And most importantly: Don’t make correction feel like failure.


We’re not grammar police. We’re guides, helping learners see the path more clearly.


Here is another example of the sorts of questions you can ask to guide students to correct written and spoken grammatical structures.
Here is another example of the sorts of questions you can ask to guide students to correct written and spoken grammatical structures.

 

The bigger picture: correction as culture

When students know you’ll help — not humiliate — they take more risks. When they realise that feedback is part of learning, not a judgement, they engage more deeply.


Over time, you build a classroom where:

  • Mistakes are seen as normal

  • Correction is expected — and welcomed

  • Students notice their own language

  • Growth feels shared, not imposed.


That’s not just good pedagogy. That’s good teaching.

 

Final Thought: Correct out loud — but with care


So, should ESL teachers correct grammar errors in speech? Yes. But with care, clarity, and above all, compassion.


Correct the mistake — not the person. Model the right form — then give it back to them. Don’t make it about accuracy or fluency. Make it about building control, confidence, and ownership of language.


Because in the end, every correction carries a message.


Let yours say:


“I hear you. I believe in your voice. And I’m here to help it grow.”



Further Reading


 

 

 

ESL students playing an academic vocabulary game with the words “start” and “commence” on a smartboard. The caption reads “Want an easier way to teach academic vocabulary?”
Right Fast is my teacher-designed, classroom-tested game series that helps learners build academic language through fast-paced retrieval and timed oral rehearsal. Perfect for ages 14+

 Click the image or explore all 10 categories and 100 sets HERE.

 

 
 
 

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