An Investigation On The Correction Of English Classroom For Non - English Majors

Errors are inevitable in foreign language learning and error correction is a necessary practice in classroom teaching. As error correction draws more and more attention of language researchers and teachers, abundant empirical studies have been carried out in this respect. However, most of the studies focus on teachers’correction behavior, while students’views are overlooked, let alone the study on different level students’preferences for corrective strategies. Thus, the thesis aims to investigate students’attitudes and preferences on teachers’error correction in class. The thesis will also investigate whether students of different levels have different preference on the needs of corrective feedback.The author investigates 221 non-English major freshmen in Tianjin Polytechnic University by questionnaires. According to their scores of CET tests, the author divides those students into two levels. Students who have passed CET 4 are grouped into high level; students who have not passed CET 4 are grouped into low level. Eight English classes are observed to record teachers’actual practice of error correction. In the interview, eight students and four teachers are selected from the participants. Interviews and questionnaires are designed on the basis of Chaudron’five questions for students’and teachers’attitudes towards error correction, specifically on whether to treat errors, when to correct, what to correct, who to correct and how to correct errors. With the help of the software SPSS 17.0, the descriptive analysis is used to analyze the results of the questionnaire.The research results are as follows:first of all, both teachers and students think error correction are important in language learning. Second, students hope that teachers should attach importance to their pronunciation errors; when correct errors, teachers should choose the appropriate timing according to error types; most students hope teachers use the form of negotiation to lead them to self-repair. Third, the chi-square test prove that students of different levels have significant difference in needs of corrective feedback. Students of low level prefer to repair errors through explicit correction; students of high level prefer to uptake from error correction through the form of negotiation.Based on the findings, this study provides some useful implications. First, it suggests that error correction in classroom should focus on the students. When correcting errors, it is important for teachers to know students’ attitudes and preference. Second, teachers are advised to improve their techniques of error correction and provide error correction timely and effectively according to error type. Third, teachers should give different corrective strategies to students of different levels.